TEHRAN – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has outlined its humanitarian response plan subsequent to the 12-day Israeli war against Iran, which started on June 13, highlighting UNICEF’s strategic initiatives, including funding requirements and partnerships with national implementing partners, to provide effective assistance to children and their families in vulnerable situations.

The document has also provided details on the impact of the war on children and families, focusing on areas that need to be dealt with immediately, such as mental health and service recovery.

Humanitarian Situation

Despite the ceasefire declared on June 24, 2025, after 12 days of war, tensions remain high across the region. The 12-day escalation caused significant humanitarian impact, with an estimated 1,100 people killed and more than 4,935 injured.

Civilian infrastructure, including homes and hospitals, sustained extensive damage. Economic challenges, including inflation, unilateral sanctions, and currency fluctuations, continue to impact populations in vulnerable situations in Iran.

In response, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has expanded cash assistance and introduced a relief package

For affected businesses. Financial assistance for households with damaged homes has also been approved. Despite a prompt national response, children, adolescents, and people in vulnerable situations continue to face barriers in accessing basic services. Approximately 40 per cent of children and adolescents in affected areas require mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

UNICEF, mainly at the request of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), is therefore complementing national efforts by delivering a multi-sectoral response to ensure timely and effective assistance to children and their families in vulnerable situations.

UNICEF’s Response Strategy

UNICEF’s response, aligned with the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, prioritizes inclusive, rapid, and accountable service delivery for children, adolescents, and their families in vulnerable situations.

Multi-Sectoral Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

 Target: 1.5 million children, adolescents, caregivers, and community members

• Support provision of MHPSS services to children, caregivers, and frontline workers, including procurement of supplies for child-friendly spaces and SAHAR teams

• Support provision of MHPSS services to adolescents, caregivers, and frontline workers, including procurement of emergency Kits

• Support training of school counsellors and education staff ahead of the new school year

Service Recovery and Multi-Sectoral Integration

Target: 1.4 million people, including children and caregivers in vulnerable situations

• Ensure continued delivery and distribution of essential health supplies

• Support the restoration of the cold chain capacity to safeguard vaccine potency

• Provide dietary supplements to children in vulnerable situations aged under two

• Provide dietary supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers in vulnerable situations

• Deliver humanitarian cash transfers to affected individuals, including training service providers

• Supporting access to education and services for children with disabilities

• Provision of recreational and learning programmes for affected children

• Support the rehabilitation of affected schools

System Resilience and Emergency Preparedness

• Procurement of emergency response backpacks for mobile health teams

• Procurement of prefabricated classrooms as temporary learning spaces in preparation for the new school year

• Capacity building support for partners and frontline workers on principled humanitarian response

Establish the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM)

Target: 25,000 households (100,000 individuals, including 28,000 children)

• Procurement and prepositioning of essential survival supplies for rapid response

Risk Communication, Community Engagement, and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)

Target: 4.7 million people reached with inclusive, protective messaging and feedback mechanisms

• Conduct rapid assessments and social listening

• Develop and disseminate life-saving information to population groups in need

• Strengthen inclusive and responsive feedback mechanisms to promote transparency, accountability, and community engagement

Funding Requirements

UNICEF Iran’s humanitarian response is estimated at US$17 million. Approximately 65 per cent is allocated to supply procurement, with the remainder supporting preparedness actions, coordination, a rapid response mechanism, risk communication, and community engagement.

Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, AAP, and Localization

Implementing partners, in close collaboration with UNICEF, will conduct and monitor the activities through periodic assessments, localized data collection, and quality checks. Implementing partners will play a central role in facilitating feedback and adapting programmes based on community input.

UNICEF will continue supporting the improvement of feedback systems, especially in terms of consistency and transparency. Localization remains a key pillar, with efforts underway to strengthen collaboration with national partners and embed UNICEF’s AAP principles into all aspects of the response.