Thousands of people leave Tehran and UN warns of displacement alarm in Iran
The UN's warning about a new wave of displacement in the Middle East comes at a time when the exodus of thousands of people from Tehran is a sign of the humanitarian consequences of the escalation of war and increased population displacement in the region.
The official UN account on social media issued a message warning of the humanitarian consequences and escalation of military tensions in the Middle East, stating that the spread of conflicts could create a new wave of displacement and population displacement in the region.
The message states that the increase in military conflicts has forced many people to flee their homes, in a region that was already home to millions of refugees and asylum seekers. UN experts emphasize that the continuation of the war could significantly increase the pressure on refugee-hosting countries and humanitarian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, information released by the UN Refugee Agency shows that a wave of internal displacement has occurred in Iran in the early days of the recent attacks.
According to these reports, about 100,000 people left Tehran in the first two days after the recent attacks; a figure that, according to officials from this organization, was recorded only based on initial estimates and may have increased in the following days.
A spokesperson for the organization said: “We have been able to confirm that at least 100,000 people have been displaced from Tehran in the first two days of the crisis. This figure is from the initial time and we do not have a recent update. However, we can expect that there has been a significant displacement.”
According to the UN official, due to communication disruptions and field restrictions, an accurate picture of the true extent of population displacement within Iran is still not available. According to data published by the UN, Iran currently hosts about 1.65 million refugees and people in need of international protection, a significant portion of whom are Afghan citizens.
This made Iran one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the region even before the new crisis began. Experts warn that an escalation of the conflict could further complicate the situation for this vulnerable population, especially as economic hardship and a lack of human resources have put a strain on social services.
The United Nations has announced that in just the first few days of the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East, more than 330,000 people in various countries in the region were forced to flee their homes.
According to the organization, a significant portion of these people have been displaced within their own country and have not yet crossed borders; but if the war continues, there is a possibility that these displacements will turn into a major refugee crisis.
Humanitarian experts emphasize that displacement is one of the most significant consequences of war. Forced population displacement can affect people's lives for years, leading to consequences such as poverty, food insecurity, health problems, and the breakdown of social structures.
For this reason, the UN has repeatedly called on the parties to the conflict to refrain from escalating the conflict and to allow humanitarian agencies access to the affected areas.
However, the continued military tensions in the Middle East indicate that the risk of a widespread humanitarian crisis remains serious, one that could affect millions of people across the region.
