Preliminary UNHCR assessments reveal 600,000–1M Iranian households—up to 3.2 million people—temporarily displaced amid intensifying conflict. Most are fleeing Tehran and urban centers northward to rural safety, with numbers expected to rise. Vulnerable Afghan refugee families face acute risks amid insecurity and service disruptions.
UNHCR is scaling operations with Iranian authorities for assessments, helplines, and aid, urging civilian protection, humanitarian access, and open borders per international law.
Iran: Up to 3.2 million people have been temporarily displaced due to the military escalation.
The UN Refugee Agency is adapting its existing operations, and emphasizing the need to protect civilians, maintain humanitarian access & ensure borders remain open.
— via @Refugees pic.twitter.com/x03vQkY0o9
— United Nations (@UN) March 12, 2026
