Iran: One month of war leaves millions in extreme uncertainty

“After one month of relentless Israeli and American bombing across Iran, the civilian population is exhausted and traumatised. Millions have already fled in search of safety. Others stay in fear that displacement will be even more dangerous as nowhere seems to be safe. Across the Middle East, 2,700 people have been killed by US, Israeli and Iranian attacks, more than half of whom are in Iran. Civilians are paying the highest price for this war. It must end.

“Countless homes, hospitals and schools have been damaged or destroyed. My colleagues tell me that in nearly every neighbourhood of Tehran buildings are destroyed with surrounding damages. Desperate families tape their windows to prevent shattered glass that has already caused too many civilians casualties. With no internet and heavily disrupted banking services daily life is increasingly difficult.

“My NRC colleagues in Iran are working under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions to scale up our relief for families displaced by the war. Each night they lie awake, listening to the explosions and fearing for their lives, and each morning they return to work, doing all they can to support families in dire need.

“The more than four million Afghans in Iran are among the most vulnerable. Many Afghan families have lost their only source of income, as informal work has collapsed. The vast majority live in cities that are under heavy attack. Many Afghans cannot flee as they have nowhere to go, or no permission to do so. More than 35,000 Afghans have made the journey back to Afghanistan from Iran since the start of the war and more than one million Afghans in Iran remain at risk of deportation to Afghanistan, a country that is in no position to receive them.

“Billions of dollars are spent on this war each week but our life-saving humanitarian relief both in Afghanistan and Iran are extremely underfunded. Organisations simply do not have the resources to prevent people from going hungry nor give emergency shelter to the homeless. We urge donors now step up their support to prevent further suffering.

“If this war continues, we risk a far wider humanitarian disaster. Millions could be forced to flee across borders, placing immense pressure on an already overstretched region.

“This war risks condemning ordinary people to unnecessary suffering for which they bear no responsibility. All parties to this conflict must respect international humanitarian law, cease attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East, and work to reach a diplomatic solution to this crisis.”

Notes to editors:

• Over 3.2 million people are internally displaced Iran, primarily fleeing major urban centres (UNHCR).  
• Iran’s health ministry reports that between 28 February and 25 March, 1,500 people have been killed and 18,551 people injured in Iran (Al Jazeera).
• Across Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia a total of 2,698 people have been killed as of 25 March (Al Jazeera).
• Casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure have been reported in at least 20 provinces (OCHA).
• The Government of Iran states that over 81,000 civilian units have been damaged in attacks, including 61,000 homes, 19,000 commercial units, 275 medical centres, and nearly 500 schools (Government of Iran).
• Iran is currently home to more than 4.4 million Afghans, 1.4 million of whom are undocumented (UNHCR).
• 78 per cent of Afghans live in urban areas of Iran (ACAPS).
• 35,000 people have moved from Iran to Afghanistan between 28 February and 21 March (UNHCR).
• The Iran response plan requires 80 million USD to support 2.8 million people affected in the country including refugees and host community member (UNHCR).
• For Afghanistan, a total of 1.71 billion US dollars is required to meet the needs of 17.5 million people targeted for assistance. As of late-March, just 188.1 million, or 11 per cent, has been delivered (OCHA).
• NRC has been working in Iran since 2012. In 2025, NRC provided assistance to nearly 115,000 Afghans and host community members across 11 provinces. NRC is 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.
  
  

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

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