Islamic Republic of Iran Appeal
Humanitarian Action for Children
UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children appeal helps support the agency’s work as it
provides conflict- and disaster-affected children with access to water, sanitation, nutrition,
education, health and protection services. Return to main appeal page.
Islamic Republic of Iran snapshot
Appeal highlights
- The Islamic Republic of Iran is the country in the Middle East that has been most affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the national economy, which was already strained by the reinforcement of sanctions in 2018. This situation has diminished national capacities to respond to increasing humanitarian needs and the vulnerabilities of affected populations.
- UNICEF's humanitarian strategy in the Islamic Republic of Iran is to support national efforts to manage the COVID-19 crisis and mitigate and address the secondary impacts of the crisis on the most vulnerable populations.
- UNICEF is requesting US$14 million to meet the critical needs of the most vulnerable families and children affected by the COVID-19 crisis, in the context of the lingering effects of previous emergencies and deteriorating economic conditions.
Key planned targets for 2021
2.8 million children / caregivers accessing mental health and psychosocial support
72,000 children accessing educational services
42,000 households reached with cash transfers where UNICEF provided technical assistance
4.1 million people reached through messaging on access to services
Funding requirements for 2021
Country needs and strategy
Humanitarian needs
The Islamic Republic of Iran is ranked among the 10 most disaster-prone countries in the world. Its geography, coupled with infrastructural fragility, growing urbanization and challenging socio-economic conditions, make it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Extreme climate conditions are exposing the country to several slow- and rapid-onset emergencies and exacerbating existing vulnerabilities.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is the country in the Middle East that has been most severely affected by COVID-19. The pandemic has dramatically impacted the national economy, which was already strained by the economic sanctions reinforced in 2018. This has adversely affected the Government's capacity to maintain public services, particularly social services, and provide timely emergency preparedness and response. As the adaptive capacities and resilience of local communities decline, vulnerability to emergencies – and related humanitarian needs – are on the rise.
A recent analysis undertaken by the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare and UNICEF suggests that 11.5 million households in less-developed areas and on the margins of major urban centres are under or just above the multidimensional poverty line; and 1 million of these households, including 4 million people, urgently require humanitarian assistance. This population has not benefited from social security during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, some 3 million Afghans living in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including refugees and immigrants, have been severely impacted.
The national social protection system is neither shock-responsive nor agile, and is unable to effectively target and support specific vulnerable populations. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, 40 per cent of the national budget was allocated to social protection schemes, including the universal basic income. However this scheme and supplementary measures do not currently follow the principles of inclusiveness, adequacy of coverage and comprehensiveness. The latter is compounded by rapid currency devaluation and inflation.
Projections indicate that the current situation could reverse national achievements towards the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the Ministry of Education, more than 20 per cent of school-aged children, including 500,000 refugees and 170,000 children with disabilities, lack access to online learning opportunities. This has made it difficult for students to build skills and has exposed adolescents to various social harms. The number of out-of-school children could dramatically increase in low-income households, especially in less-developed provinces and on the margins of major urban centres. The Government also increasingly needs international support to provide vital health, nutrition and psychosocial support services to the most vulnerable communities.
UNICEF’s strategy
UNICEF's emergency response strategy in the Islamic Republic of Iran is informed by national humanitarian priorities, the Country Programme 2017–2022 and the Sustainable Development Goals. UNICEF is working with the Government, national humanitarian and development actors, sister United Nations agencies and partners to address the needs of affected girls, boys and families and build national capacities to ensure quality child-sensitive emergency preparedness and response.
Within the existing coordination system and in the absence of clusters, UNICEF leads the education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition sectors and the child protection sub-sector. UNICEF has played an active role in the United Nations COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan by leading the risk communication and community engagement pillar; co-leading, with the World Health Organization (WHO), the provision of supplies to support the health sector response to COVID-19; actively engaging in the United Nations health procurement group; co-leading with sister United Nations agencies a multi-sector response to COVID-19, particularly in relation to the urgent needs of vulnerable children; and steering the development of a national shock-responsive social protection approach targeting the most vulnerable populations.
Considering the multiplicity of risks and the complexity of this situation, UNICEF humanitarian and development interventions – which were developed in collaboration with national partners and United Nations agencies – were designed to enhance the efficiency of the Government and its interventions, both at the national and provincial levels, and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities.
UNICEF is using a multi-sectoral approach to address the complex situation of overlapping socio-economic, health, education, protection and natural hazard-related emergencies. In line with the Core Commitments of Children in Humanitarian Action, this includes interventions focused on social protection, health, nutrition, education, child protection, adolescent development and participation and communication for development. Protective measures will provide a more robust safety net for population groups and address multiple deprivations. All interventions will be designed to address the immediate needs of target communities, build community resilience, and ensure the efficacy and efficiency of national programmes, including by supporting national efforts to build a shock-responsive protection system.
Programme targets
Find out more about UNICEF's work
Highlights
Humanitarian Action is at the core of UNICEF’s mandate to realize the rights of every child. This edition of Humanitarian Action for Children – UNICEF’s annual humanitarian fundraising appeal – describes the ongoing crises affecting children in the Islamic Republic of Iran; the strategies that we are using to respond to these situations; and the donor support that is essential in this response.
