TEHRAN - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has supported the rehabilitation of sanitation facilities in 41 schools in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi and the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

The project aims to help improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services for thousands of children. The rehabilitation of 33 schools was supported through funding provided by the Government of France.

Implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Organization for Development, Renovation and Equipping of Schools, the interventions focused on schools hosting large numbers of Afghan refugees and vulnerable Iranian children. The rehabilitation works included improvements to water supply systems, sanitation facilities, and handwashing areas.
 
Improving learning environments for children

In Khorasan Razavi Province, WASH rehabilitation activities were carried out in 15 schools in Mashhad’s Tabadkan and District No. 5 areas.

In Sistan-Baluchestan, rehabilitation works reached 18 schools in the cities of Zahedan and Zabol.

Overall, more than 23,000 students benefited from improved WASH facilities in the targeted schools.
The activities aimed to support safer and healthier learning environments by improving children’s access to functional and hygienic sanitation services in schools. These interventions also contributed to strengthening hygiene practices and reducing risks associated with inadequate WASH facilities.
 
Supporting children’s health and hygiene

Alongside the rehabilitation works, UNICEF supported health and hygiene promotion activities for students, parents, and school staff in the two provinces.

Some 40 health teachers and focal points were trained to better support children and families with health and hygiene promotion activities. Hygiene kits were distributed to families, and schools received essential health equipment to support children’s wellbeing and access to basic health services.

Previous measures

In March, UNICEF, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, deployed 2 mobile health units, 8 primary healthcare (PHC) tents, and 81 emergency primary healthcare kits.

Additional supplies—including 2 more PHC tents and 131 emergency kits—are being delivered, helping reach at least 226,000 people. UNICEF is also scaling up its psychosocial support to children impacted by the escalation.

In January, UNICEF, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, organized an event to ensure that medical settings serve as a strong shield for children at risk and to strengthen integrated child protection services as the first step toward activating Child Protection Committees within hospitals.

Supported by the European Union, the event brought together directors, nurses, and social workers from 22 pediatric hospitals, alongside experts from the State Welfare Organization.

Since 2023, UNICEF and MoHME have been working hand-in-hand to empower social workers through specialized training and protocols. By moving beyond just physical treatment to holistic protection, we are creating a world where hospitals are not just places of healing, but sanctuaries of safety.

Looking ahead, UNICEF will continue to launch innovative activities to maintain this momentum, ensuring that the protection of every child remains at the heart of the healthcare system.

In this line, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and UNICEF have enhanced cooperation to provide psychosocial support for children during emergencies.

They aim to provide immediate, safe, and protective environments for children affected by crises, the UNICEF website reported in December 2025.

The collaboration focuses on rapidly deploying high-quality tents and essential equipment to establish Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) as a crucial Rapid Response mechanism.

In February, the head of the Welfare Organization, Javad Hosseini, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ad interim Representative in Iran, Monika Oledzka Nielsen, explored the potential to expand cooperation, particularly regarding children aged below 18.

During a meeting in Tehran, Nielsen said the two organizations have so far held two meetings to prioritize issues based on assessments made by the Welfare Organization, Mehr news agency reported.

The core area of collaboration focuses on improving children’s rights, such as child labor and street children, she noted.