NRC says 3.2 million Iranians and Afghan refugees displaced by conflict

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), says millions of civilians in Iran, including Afghan refugees, have been severely affected by the recent conflict, which has left widespread destruction and deepened humanitarian needs.

In a post on X, Egeland said he had returned to Iran and witnessed the impact of the war on both Iranian families and Afghan refugees.

“I am back in Iran where millions of Iranian civilians and Afghan refugees have had their lives shattered by the recent war,” he wrote.

According to Egeland, tens of thousands of civilian homes have been damaged or destroyed, while hundreds of schools and health facilities have also been affected. He added that damage to critical civilian infrastructure has further worsened humanitarian conditions.

The NRC chief said an estimated 3.2 million people were forced to flee their homes during the conflict, including both Iranian citizens and Afghan refugees. Others, he noted, were unable to leave and remained trapped in areas close to airstrikes.

Egeland said thousands of people were killed or injured during the fighting, while around 17 million students were unable to attend classes in person.

He praised NRC staff in Iran for continuing to provide assistance to those affected but warned that humanitarian efforts are facing serious financial constraints.

“My NRC colleagues here are working hard to provide essential support. But we are severely overstretched and underfunded,” he said.