TEHRAN - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has supported the implementation of development projects for less advantaged students in the country.

The construction of new classrooms and new water distribution networks in vulnerable areas were among the projects that were carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Energy, the UNICEF website reported.

Newly built classrooms

In the 2022-2023 school year that began on September 22, the number of refugee students in Iran was 670,000, with over a 30 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to the report.

This increase in the number of non-Iranian students, which is mostly in less advantaged areas, has brought about some challenges for the education department including a lack of physical space.

Expanding educational space is a way to deal with this problem and improve the quality of education.

To this end, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) and Relief International, UNICEF supported the construction and equipment of ten classrooms across five schools with high numbers of refugee students in Khorasan Razavi and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces.

One of the missions of UNICEF is to give all children equal access to education no matter what their status and situation is. 

UNICEF support along with the funds provided by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) help the children in these areas have access to new classrooms and latrines in the next academic year.

clean water

In an effort to ensure access to safe water for children and their families in South Khorasan Province, UNICEF supported the construction of a new water distribution network in four villages in the Kalate Shab region.

Collaborating with the Ministry of Energy and Water and Wastewater Company, this initiative will benefit 548 people living in these villages.

The existing water supply network was in disrepair. The devastating impacts of droughts and floods in recent years further underscored the importance of a comprehensive renovation of the water distribution system.

To achieve this, a 4-kilometer water feeder line, a 6-kilometer distribution network, and 85 household branches were successfully executed.

Through these infrastructure improvements, UNICEF ensures that children and their families have reliable access to clean water, a fundamental right for every child.

Access to safe water, along with basic sanitation facilities and good hygiene practices, contributes to children’s well-being and provides them with a healthier start in life.

Similar endeavors have been supported by UNICEF in Iran in recent months, including the rehabilitation and construction of WASH facilities in the Torbateh Jam refugee settlement, water supply network rehabilitation in Moshkont village in Sistan-Baluchestan province, execution of the main water feeder line in Niatak refugee settlement, and the establishment of water distribution networks in Golestan province.

In May, Robin Nandy, the representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Iran, said the country’s comprehensive program for the protection of refugee children is encouraging.

Making investments in programs and services to better care for and support children affected by migration and asylum will reduce costs in the future, he added.

Emphasizing the important role of non-governmental organizations in supporting refugee and immigrant children and teenagers, Nandy expressed hope that holding educational workshops will lead to the promotion of children's rights and justice for children.

MT/MG