TEHRAN –The World Food Program (WFP) has released its 2023 report on Iran based on the interim Country Strategic Plan (2023-2025).

WFP’s response for the first quarter of 2023 was under WFP Iran’s Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP) (2018-2023).

In April 2023, WFP launched its second ICSP (2023-2025), which has the aim to continue assistance to refugees while meeting increased needs.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees over the past four decades. There are roughly 4.5 million Afghans currently living in Iran.

Around 33,000 of the most vulnerable documented refugees live in 20 settlements in 13 provinces of Iran.

WFP’s response in Iran focuses on addressing the food security needs of the most vulnerable refugees living in settlements.

WFP provides food, education, and livelihood assistance through a hybrid modality of in-kind food, unconditional cash, and capacity strengthening to refugees.

In 2023, WFP Iran was able to secure more than 75 percent of its funding and address the daily food requirements of around 33,000 vulnerable refugees.

In addition to the unconditional assistance provided to around 33,000 refugees inside settlements, WFP also provided conditional support for students attending primary schools and junior high schools.

Through WFP's school meals program, around 8,620 refugee school children (49 percent girls) at primary schools and junior high schools and their 610 Iranian teachers (30 percent women) received nutritious school snacks throughout the scholastic year.

The snacks included fortified milk and either a date bar or whole grain biscuit for every day of school attendance to support their education and nutrition.

Under the same program, around 2,900 girls at primary schools and junior high schools also received cash incentives to support their education in line with girl’s empowerment.

Following the successful establishment of bakeries in some settlements in the past years, WFP supported equipping a bakery in 2023 in one settlement to improve the efficiency of the baking process and the quality of the bread for around 1,400 inhabitants of the settlement.

WFP’s commitment to supporting the government of Iran’s assistance response for crisis-affected populations was further reinforced by WFP ‘s provision of locally procured emergency family food packs to around 9,780 Iranian people affected by an earthquake in Khoy City in May, through its cooperating partner, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).

WFP continued to play an active role in the interagency fora such as the United Nations Country Team, the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), and Interagency Cash, Livelihood, Education, and Protection Working Groups.

WFP also continued its cooperation with its non-governmental partners, including UNHCR, IRCS, and International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) such as Relief International and Norwegian Refugee Council, Cooperazione e Sviluppo (Cesvi) across different forums and scopes such as conducting joint Post Distribution Monitoring with UNHCR and attending various interagency working groups.

MT/MG