Supporting Afghan refugees in Iran

Iran shares a 1,000 kilometer border with neighboring Afghanistan, and for the last 40 years Iran has hosted one of the world’s largest populations of refugees. Some 3 million Afghan refugees fleeing war and chronic poverty in their country have migrated to Iran.

Over several years, our primary focus has been to support the population of nearly 3 million Afghans through comprehensive case management, and by providing healthcare, education, vocational training, and small business development services.

Here are just some examples of what we've achieved together:

• In 2024 so far, we enabled 1,000 children and youth to access education programs.
• In 2023, we provided remedial classes for 1,570 Afghan and Iranian students across six provinces
• In 2023, we distributed 1,570 school stationery kits to students
• In 2023, we constructed 10 new learning spaces in five schools in Khorasan Razavi and Sistan & Baluchistan.
• In 2023, we provided school cleaning and disinfecting kits to 26 Ministry of Education schools

It was only with the support of donors like you that we were able to have this impact.

Thank you again for your generosity.

In the northeastern region of Iran, nestled within the Khorasan Razavi province, lies the city of Mashhad. This area, sharing an extensive border with Afghanistan, is home to a large number of Afghan refugees. It was here that a simple piece of equipment transformed the life of Naeem*, a young Afghan man who has faced both physical and mental challenges since birth.

Naeem lives with his mother and two sisters. His father passed away more than 10 years ago. His younger sister and mother contribute to the family’s livelihood through tailoring and farming, respectively, while his elder sister dedicates her time to caring for Naeem. He has been suffering from physical and mental disabilities since birth. His speech did not develop normally, so he did not attend school and learned the alphabet and simple reading and writing from his sisters at home. He cannot communicate with others; only his sisters and mother understand him and help him articulate what he wants to say.

After his father’s death, one of his sisters started taking care of him at home, and she has been suffering from heavy backaches recently because of Naeem’s special circumstances.

Relief International, in collaboration with the Australian embassy, has extended a helping hand to Afghan people with disabilities in Khorasan Razavi, providing equipment to ease the struggles of the community’s most vulnerable families.

As part of this work, Relief International provided Naeem with an electric lift to help with his mobility. The arrival of the equipment changed everything for Naeem. “When we introduced the elevator to Naeem, he couldn’t contain his emotions and burst into tears,” his family recalls. “He was always so distressed and ashamed, feeling like a burden to us."

The new equipment has dramatically reduced the physical strain on Naeem's family and provided much-needed emotional relief.

This would not have been possible without the support of donors like you, so thank you.

*Name changed.