UNHCR is supporting vulnerable refugees in Iran, who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with pre-paid cash cards to cover their basic needs for up to three months. © UNHCR/Na’imeh Afshar
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has stepped up its cash assistance to support thousands of extremely vulnerable refugees whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by the continuing coronavirus pandemic in the Islamic Republic of Iran. But further funding is needed to support many more who are facing increased hardship and destitution.
Iran hosts nearly a million refugees, mostly Afghans who have sought safety in the country from a four-decade long conflict in Afghanistan and live side by side with Iranians.
Iran’s economy has already been under substantial strain during the past two years, but COVID-19 has very severely worsened economic conditions. In just one year, the price of basic food items such as oil, rice and eggs has increased by some 21 per cent, while the cost of transportation has soared by some 50 per cent, according to government figures.
Like elsewhere in the world, many people have also lost their jobs. Refugees, who usually rely on precarious and unstable jobs for their income, have been particularly hard hit. UNHCR estimates that the main breadwinner in approximately one-third of all refugee households has been left unemployed. Many refugees, who were already struggling to make ends meet, find it more and more difficult to fend for themselves.
With our Iranian Government counterpart, the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA), UNHCR has supported more than 20,000 refugees since the beginning of the pandemic. Some 9,000 among those have recently benefitted from a cash assistance scheme through pre-paid cards. These refugees are suffering from serious health conditions and are in need of urgent support. Each household receives some US$300 (a one-off payment) – enough to cover up to three months of basic expenditures.
Although refugees have not been disproportionately infected with COVID-19 compared to the national population, the economic impact of the pandemic on their lives has been particularly shattering. The impact of job losses on refugees’ lives are mounting: some have had to take their children out of school and send them to work, while others report having to borrow money or reduce the number of meals they eat each day. Approximately two-thirds of all refugees approaching UNHCR for support in recent months reported needing financial help. Most said they were unable to afford enough food for their families, while others asked for help to pay rent and for medical treatments.
Refugees have shown incredible resilience in the face of COVID-19, but UNHCR is worried that more may resort to negative coping mechanisms, unless they receive more support.
While the Government of Iran has taken generous measures to include refugees in their national COVID-19 response plans, including through the provision of free tests, treatment and hospitalization, more support from the international community is urgently needed, so that UNHCR can further assist Iran in protecting refugees and supporting the host community.
UNHCR and the government are exploring ways to support more refugees struggling to make ends meet. UNHCR has only received 36 per cent of the US$99.9 million we need to continue supporting refugees and host communities, so far this year.
In the face of such unprecedented global challenges, it is critical that the international community comes together to help Iran in its humanitarian efforts, in the spirit of responsibility sharing.
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