Iran ceasefire must hold and include Lebanon. Aid is underfunded

“The announced two-week ceasefire is a welcome reprieve for civilians across Iran, the Gulf and the wider region who have endured more than five weeks of violence. This must not be a short-lived window of hope before renewed violence. All parties must commit to ending hostilities across the region beyond this two-week agreement.

“This ceasefire must also include Lebanon, as announced by the Government of Pakistan. In the last hour, Israel launched the largest and most violent wave of airstrikes across Beirut, the South and the Bekaa. My colleagues are reporting horrifying scenes of so much destruction and many casualties. Israel and Hezbollah must commit to stopping their attacks, and Israel must withdraw from the Lebanese villages and territory it currently occupies. Our teams spoke to families today who told us when they heard the news about the ceasefire, they were ready to leave the collective shelters and return home, only to have their hopes shattered by renewed attacks in the south. A ceasefire excluding Lebanon risks fuelling further escalation and undermining any hope for stability.

“In Iran we are now focusing our efforts on urgently scaling up life-saving support to families whose lives have been devastated by this war. Alongside our local partners we have the capacity to help the millions of war displaced Iranians and Afghan refugees. We can operate freely, do independent needs assessments and provide cash directly to displaced families in addition to the supply of water and sanitation, emergency shelter, education and trauma care for women and children.

“But in a world that has found many billions of dollars to wage wars we do not even have the minimum 6 million we have asked for in emergency relief for 50,000 people in Iran who have lost everything. We have only received 2 million US dollars so far in emergency relief and will run out of money in May. We have briefed multiple donor countries, but only Norway and Sweden have so far responded with the needed funding. The broader humanitarian appeal for Iran is similarly underfunded with just one in every 20 dollars needed delivered.

“This lack of international support is also echoed in Lebanon where less than a third of the required funding has been delivered. Our teams across Lebanon have raced against time to provide urgent relief and upgrades for displaced people in collective shelters. We are providing emergency supplies, hygiene materials, clean water as well as education. Learning from 2024, we know that either to sustain the response for displaced people or to accompany returns after five intense weeks of violence, the need for support remains vast.

“Civilians cannot afford yet another ceasefire collapsing into a new round of bloodshed. This must be the foundation for a permanent ceasefire that brings peace and stability for civilians across Iran, Lebanon and the wider region.”

Notes to editors:

• Across Iran more than 3.2 million people are displaced (UNHCR).
• In Iran more than2,000 people have now been killed in Iran, including more than 200 children. More than 27,000 have been injured (OCHA).
• Across Iran over 115,000 civilian units have been damaged including 91,000+ residential units, 22,000+ commercial units, 760+ schools, and 315+ health facilities (OCHA).
• 400,000 people in need of food security assistance in Tehran alone (WFP).
• Just 4.3% of the humanitarian appeal for Iran has been funded (OCHA).
• In Lebanon, 1,049,328 people have self-registered as displaced as of 2 April (DRM). 
• In Lebanon, at least 1,530 people have been killed and 4,812 injured (DRM).
• NRC estimates that Israeli evacuation orders currently cover approximately 1,525 km², representing around 14.6% of Lebanon’s total territory, including South Lebanon, parts of the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
• In Israel, at least 26 people have been killed and 1,828 injured (MDA).
• In Israel, more than 8,700 structures were damaged, based on over 12,800 compensation claims filed since the start of hostilities, according to data from the Israeli Tax Authority (reported in Hebrew media).
• The funding appeal for Lebanon is currently 30% funded (OCHA).
• In Iran, NRC has 110 colleagues on the ground. We are coordinating with local partners and aiming to target 50,000 Iranians and Afghans affected by this crisis across nine provinces, while prioritising cash assistance, education services, protection and legal assistance and integrated water and sanitation, and shelter support to ensure vulnerable communities can meet their urgent needs.
• In Lebanon, NRC is prioritising life-saving assistance to displaced populations in both collective shelters and informal settings. This includes the distribution of hygiene kits, water, and emergency supplies, reaching thousands of people across affected areas, alongside shelter and water and sanitation rehabilitation in collective sites.
  
  

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329