UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

1 July 2025

UN Development and Humanitarian Assistance in Iran

Stefan Priesner, UN Resident Coordinator in Iran, addressed how the United Nations development and humanitarian system had dealt with the conflict and how it was adapting to emerging challenges.

In the early morning hours of Friday, June 13, a number of attacks took place in Tehran and other parts of Iran, and there were multiple attacks from either side over the next twelve days. Over 627 people had been killed, and almost 5 000 injured, many of whom were reportedly civilians. This was an unprecedented adversity for the people of Iran, but they had displayed a spirit of resilience. In Tehran, from the first days of the conflict, millions left the city, mostly towards the north. But one soon saw a sense of community and solidarity emerge, with stranded families sharing food and accommodation. The people of Iran stood with each other through the conflict. Essential services in Tehran continued throughout the crisis.

The United Nations underlined its concern and condemnation of the civilian casualties, emphasising that civilians should never be a target, and that international law had to prevail. The UN in Iran is now working to adapt its programmes to deliver on the most critical issues. This conflict was a test for the United Nations system and its ability to adapt to challenging circumstances. Mr Priesner highlighted that despite the challenges, the UN team in Iran had stayed and delivered. Field offices of UNHCR too continued to work through the crisis. Faced with internet disruptions the UN team had worked as a network, with flexible working modalities, and used all technical means to continue its work.

Speaking of the UN's mandate in Iran, he said that there are 14 resident and 4 non-resident UN agencies, funds and programmes active in the country. A development cooperation framework had been agreed with the government in 2022 which rested on five pillars: socio-economic resilience, health environmental protection, disaster risk reduction and drug control.

Speaking of the humanitarian context in Iran, Mr Priesner highlighted that Iran continues to be the host of one of the world's largest refugee and refugee like population. It was significant that a large number of the refugees were allowed to live in cities aside host communities and Iran had been providing access to health care and education; many Afghan families had come to Iran, especially with girl children, to get education and support that was unavailable in Afghanistan. Some 11 UN entities and 3 NGOs provide humanitarian assistance to support Iran in hosting this large and protracted refugee crisis.

Since the ceasefire, the United Nations has been in discussions with the Iranian government to meet emerging needs that are only now becoming clear, and the UN is reprogramming and adopting new priorities. It has also immediately provided emergency support, including emergency surgical kits, and support for diagnostics. There was also a UN focus on mental and psychological support for the affected people in Iran. Food had been provided to settlements and targeted support was continuing for the most vulnerable groups.

The Secretary-General, in his various public messages, had made it clear that the view of the United Nations remained that only diplomacy could offer a viable and sustainable path. De-escalation and dialogue, grounded in international law and the spirit of the UN Charter, were the surest way to protect lives and preserve much-needed peace in the region. This was a time when the United Nations was most needed, immediately after the ending of the conflict, and it counted on the help of the international community for timely and effective support in this most difficult of times.

Mr. Priesner then responded to questions. Regarding how the humanitarian situation had evolved or deteriorated in recent days and what were the exact needs and figures, he said that a needs assessment was being carried out. The health sector had very specific needs, in particular as there had been damage to hospitals and there were several thousand injured in the conflict. The next issue was the refugee situation and how the conflict affected refugees. Afghans' returns from Iran to Afghanistan appeared to have increased, and the team was in touch with governmental authorities at various levels to make sure that these returns took place in a planned and dignified manner.

Regarding a question about the destructions after the attack, Mr. Priesner said that statistics from governmental sources were that 3 500 housing units had been destroyed. More than 70 000 calls had been made to telephone-based psychological counselling services which addressed some 10,000 citizens.

Tehran is now once again teeming with people and many who had left during the crisis have now returned home. What was significant was that essential services were functioning throughout the crisis, and people were resilient.

Following a question about the situation of the vulnerable sections, and of women and children in the country, Mr. Priesner said there were more than 3.5 million refugees and people living in refugee-like situations. The total number of Afghans living in Iran was up to 6 million people, some with working permits, some with no documents, and some with refugee status who were registered with the government. In terms of the rights of women and children, there was an ongoing dialogue with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the government on enhancing and progressively realising women’s rights. In the work of the United Nations, women’s rights have been mainstreamed, and the UN's whole work in Iran was focused on vulnerable groups, including female-headed households.

On whether the temporary removals of United Nations staff had been reversed, whether the system was still over-stretched, and how he assessed Iran’s abilities to cope with regard to the situation, Mr. Priesner said that only families of staff and some non-critical personnel had been temporarily moved out during the conflict as per UN rules.

But there remains a significant contingent of heads of agencies and international staff in Iran. The United Nations system in Iran, as everywhere, also relies on national staff, and they were back in the office since 29 June, and normal operations had resumed.

Answering a question on why there was a massive return of refugees to Afghanistan, and whether it was a response to the war, Mr. Priesner said Iranian national stakeholders' discussion on reducing the number of refugees had started long before the twelve-day conflict and had been announced previously. These returns had been increasing in recent days. Many refugees were returning voluntarily, moving away from the war, but there were also deportations. While there had been a spike in returns during the war, the returns overall could not be tied to the war, as the government’s efforts had begun much earlier.

Mr. Priesner also responded to a question on the current relationship with the authorities and what impact it had on the ability to work in the country, saying that the UN's relationship with the authorities had been constructive, with daily contact to assess the population's needs.

Following a question on how many international and local staff worked for the United Nations system in Iran, what its budget was, whether it was affected by cuts and whether there were the required funds, Mr. Priesner said there were 18 agencies, 14 on the ground and 4 working from abroad with projects in the country, with about 50 international and 500 national staff members. Regarding funding, there had been a resource mobilization crisis for a few years now on account of geopolitical factors. Last year’s budget was about 75 million USD, with 50 million for the refugee crisis and about 25 million for the development program. Responding to another question on his expectations as to what was needed for the rest of 2025, given the situation, he noted that a relook at the budgeting was now underway, and there was need for a significant increase, possibly a doubling of the funding. Mr. Priesner hoped that humanitarian assistance would be kept unlinked from politics, and that the international community would increase burden sharing for the hosting of refugees in Iran.

Refugees escaping Sudan face escalating hunger and malnutrition as food aid risks major reductions

Shaun Hughes, World Food Programme’s Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Regional Crisis, said there was an alarming situation facing millions of Sudanese refugees who had fled to neighbouring countries. Extreme funding shortfalls meant that the WFP would be unable to fulfil their needs. Over 4 million had fled to neighbouring countries: many arrived hungry, having faced months of deprivation. Most of them were women and children. When the conflict began, WFP worked quickly to provide assistance to refugees arriving in seven neighbouring countries, namely the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda, often rapidly expanding the operational footprint in border areas, working to support the influx of refugees and support cross-border operations into Sudan and South Sudan. It had scaled up operations at the borders.

Over the past two years, WFP had provided food, cash assistance, hot meals, and nutritional support for the treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition in women and children to thousands of people fleeing daily into remote border communities. At the same time, WFP expanded support to host communities who had generously welcomed refugees despite often grappling with the food and other needs. This support had been a lifeline for millions. However, WFP could no longer sustain this level of support, and unless funding was increased, all refugees would face assistance cuts in the coming months. This was a full-blown regional crisis that was occurring in countries facing high levels of food insecurity and high levels of conflict. Global acute malnutrition rates among refugee children had already reached emergency thresholds. The international community had to mobilise urgent resources to support Sudan’s refugees and their host communities. Emergency support was also required within Sudan. Last month alone, WFP reached a record 5 million people in Sudan. It was committed to doing all it could but needed the resources to sustain lives. Ultimately, humanitarian support could never put an end to conflict and forced displacement: political and diplomatic action was needed to end the fighting so the people of Sudan could return home and rebuild their livelihoods.

Babar Baloch, representing the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), said that Sudan was the worst humanitarian crisis, one of the countries with the highest levels of acute malnutrition in the world. Newly arrived refugee children arrived with critical malnutrition levels, and rates among children under 5 had exceeded the emergency threshold. This was the world’s worst protection crisis. Ongoing funding cuts were exacerbating the situation. The impact of these cuts meant the loss of key nutrition experts and staff. Without further support, this would get worse: critical funding shortfalls continued to hinder UNHCR’s response.

Responding to a question on whether the funding shortages had been a gradual tapering off, or linked to decisions from the current US administration, Mr. Hughes said the global humanitarian system was being affected by decreased funding as needs were rising. The United States had been very generous and a long-term supporter of the WFP globally and in Sudan and was still the largest donor for the WFP in Sudan. But reductions in humanitarian commitments were seen from a number of donors as needs increased. This was a sustained crisis and required sustained commitment until the situation allowed the Sudanese to go home, live in peace, and restart livelihoods. Efforts were being made to stretch out the funding, but the ability to provide assistance was bare. Already, decisions were being taken to reduce the level of assistance. However, this was playing out differently in different host countries. Mr. Baloch said that on funding, for the regional refugee response, the needs for this year were 1.8 billion USD, and only 15% of the funds were available. As the humanitarian situation in Sudan and the region was becoming more dire, there was a need for more resources for the desperate displaced.

On a question asking for an estimate of how much the funding coming from Russia or China, Mr. Hughes said he did not have these figures, but United Nations agencies were undergoing 40% in cuts from one year to the next, and it was ever more urgent that funding levels were diversified. And Member States who did not see themselves traditionally as funding global aid were being encouraged to come to the fore. On another question asking how much had been already received of the total requirement of 575 million, Mr. Hughes said 575 million was the sum required in Sudan and another 200 million for refugees in the seven neighbouring countries. Because this was now eight different operations, exact funding percentages could be provided later. All of them at this stage were severely underfunded. Regarding a question on the loss of staff, he said that WFP globally was undergoing a downsizing, the proportions of which had been reported elsewhere, with huge pressure on the organisation and its operations globally. All efforts were being made to support Sudan, but WFP did not work alone; it worked with other organisations, and when funding was not available for them as well, then the overall operational efficiency was compromised, and this was being seen in Sudan and elsewhere.

Finally, responding to a question on whether any attempt had been made to get food supplies into El Fasher since the WFP humanitarian convoy was attacked on 3 June, Mr. Hughes said five people had been killed in that attack. Since then, there had been no success in accessing El Fasher, and the situation remained of grave concern. Negotiations were ongoing to secure safe passage and assurances of safety for urgent humanitarian assistance to reach the area as soon as possible. WFP was standing ready to provide humanitarian assistance as soon as possible.

Heatwaves grip many parts of Europe

Clare Nullis, representing the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said 12 July was the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms and WMO would be issuing its annual airborne dust bulletin. Today was 1 July, and July traditionally the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere. The WMO, its members and partners were ramping up efforts to protect lives from heat, a silent killer, the death toll of which was under-reflected in official statistics. Extreme heat was becoming more frequent and more intense. Warnings from national services and coordinated heat health action plans were ever more important to protect public safety and well-being. Heat conditions with well above average temperatures were affecting many parts of the northern hemisphere.

Regarding Western Europe, it was currently under the influence of a high-pressure system, trapping hot air from North Africa over the area. Western and Southern Europe were reaching high temperatures, with some records already reached. What was exceptional (but not unprecedented) was the time of year- this was early in the season for episodes of extreme heat. This was happening for various reasons, including that sea temperatures in the Mediterranean were exceptionally high, which tended to reinforce extreme temperatures in land areas. Spain, according to their national service, said there was a temperature of 46 Celsius in some areas over the weekend. Meteo France had issued a top-level danger alert, namely danger to life for the next two days. Meteo Suisse also had an amber alert for most regions. The heat was intense in the African continent: Morocco had reported widespread temperatures over 46 Celsius in June.

The greatest impacts were on the vulnerable, the poor, the elderly and the infirm who suffered the most, but everybody was at risk. People in towns and cities were more at risk, due to the urban heat island effect, as there were concrete surfaces reflecting heat and making it worse. More of the same, and even worse could be expected for the future. There were still cold waves in winter, but they were coming further apart and fewer. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed how the intensity and frequency of extreme heat events were increasing in Europe. By 2050 about half the European population could be exposed to high or very-high risk of heat stress during summer and especially in southern Europe and in eastern and central Europe.

What could be done? Every single death from heat had to be prevented. Extreme heat was one of the priorities of the International Early Warnings for All initiative, and progress was being made on triggering coordinated action across the board, including health, education and transportation. WHO worked closely with the WMO, and extreme heat was one of those priorities.

Responding to a question on what could be expected over the coming days in Europe, Ms. Nullis said one should check with the national meteorological service in the area.

Tommaso Della Longa, for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), responded to a question asking whether the IFRC had teams on standby to provide aid for people suffering in heat. He said that the IFRC network was working with local and national authorities to provide aid, checking on the most vulnerable and support efforts to fight wildfires. Red Cross teams were sharing health advice and safety tips on how to stay cool and manage sun exposure and recognizing signs of heat related illnesses. Volunteers were checking on the most vulnerable, including the homeless. Extreme heat did not have to be a disaster: knowledge and action made all the difference, and preparedness plans made all the difference, even at the municipal level.

Responding to a request to explain the phenomenon that temperatures were bearable on the beaches and close to the sea, but cities such as Rome and Paris were excessively hot, Ms. Nullis said a lot of it was to do with what was called the Urban Heat Island Effect. Areas where there were trees and vegetation to absorb the heat and provide shade would have slightly lower temperatures than in heavily built-up areas, which was why in many urban areas there was a movement to green cities, to climate-proof urban areas. In cities, a lot of people were in small apartments without proper ventilation. There was also the problem of homelessness; thus, vulnerability was higher. Manual workers on construction sites in cities were very vulnerable, as were rural and agricultural workers. This was why it had to be an across-the-board response involving labour, meteorological, educational and transport authorities.

Mr. Della Longa answered a question on what could be done in areas that tourists were visiting, saying that recommendations were the same in every context: stay hydrated, reduce sun exposure, and so on. Red Cross teams were in the places where tourists were and were sharing the same health advice and tools to support people, such as tents where they could stay cool, distribution of water, and others.

On a question on what could be expected and what countries could do to prepare, whether there would be thunderstorms, floods, landslides, and what was an amber alert, Ms. Nullis said that quite often extreme heat was broken up, even if just temporarily, by violent thunderstorms. However, these were very difficult to predict and were very localized. Rainfall after extreme heat tended to be heavier, and extreme heat was often associated with drought, and dried out soil was less able to absorb sudden rainfall, which could cause flash flooding. Urban areas, that were mostly concrete, could not absorb vast quantities of rain suddenly. This was why there was a need for multi-hazard early warning. Regarding amber alerts, there were four levels in Europe, with red alert being the gravest. Amber alert was the next one down the scale, followed by yellow alert, and the all-clear, green level. There was a website which showed the different alerts currently in place in Europe, meteoalarm.org.

Announcements

Ms. Vellucci said the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women would close its 91^st session on Friday and would issue its concluding observations on the countries it had reviewed during the session.

The Human Rights Committee was concluding this morning its review of the report of North Macedonia, with Latvia this afternoon.

The Human Rights Council was continuing, and on Thursday at 1 p.m., Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, would be presenting her latest report entitled "From economy of occupation to economy of genocide".

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