TEHRAN (Iran News) – The World Food Program (WFP) has supported 30,009 refugees by providing food items and financial assistance during May.
WFP assists 31,000 beneficiaries yearly through unconditional food assistance in addition to the provision of a girls’ education cash incentive, and a school feeding initiative consisting of nutritious school snacks.
Moreover, it supports refugees’ livelihoods through activities that aim at providing them with complementary skills in view of sustainable repatriation to their country of origin once the situation is conducive.
The assisted people received 393.5 MT of fortified wheat flour, vegetable oil, lentils, biscuits, date bar, nuts, and milk, according to a report recently published by the WFP.
Some 8,413 were women, 8,628 men, 6,189 girls, and 6,779 boys (these figures include 537 Iranian teachers who receive WFP school snacks).
General food distributions in refugee settlements are ongoing, in addition to cash-based transfers, which aim at reducing the economic impact on beneficiaries caused by negative market developments, such as inflation and rising food prices.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, schools are continuing their work either online or in-person depending on the situation in their provinces. School snacks distribution is being continued either on-site for those who have routine classes or as a take-home ratio for those who receive online training.
WFP received a contribution of EUR 1.7 million from the Federal Republic of Germany for its assistance program, which will benefit Afghan and Iraqi refugees living in settlements in Iran.
Iran hosting world’s fourth-largest refugee community
Iran is hosting the world’s fourth-largest refugee community. The country has generously hosted approximately 1 million refugees for the past 30 years. The majority, which mainly came from Afghanistan and Iraq, live in urban areas. Approximately 31,000 of the most vulnerable refugees living in 20 settlements located throughout the country.
Based on the latest statistics, over 3 million Afghans are living in Iran – some 780,000 Afghan refugees, over 2 million undocumented Afghans, and another 600,000 Afghan passport-holders with Iranian visas.
However, in light of the pandemic, all refugees, even those undocumented, benefited from access to free primary health services and free COVID-19 related testing, treatment, and hospitalization, just like Iranian nationals.
The same happened for the vaccination when the country has generously considered refugees over the age of 75 for vaccination against coronavirus.
