TEHRAN – The World Food Program (WFP) has released a report, expounding on activities in Iran over the month of January.

In January, WFP food assistance reached 32,914 beneficiaries, including Afghan and Iraqi refugees, through a hybrid combination of in-kind food and cash-based transfers (CBT).

Refugees are assisted with a staple food basket, which includes fortified wheat flour (a ration of 9 kg per person, reduced from 12 Kg since the month of November due to funding shortfalls).

Under the cash-based transfer (CBT) modality, WFP continued to provide cash assistance to support the essential living costs of vulnerable refugees. The transfer is IRR 8 million (USD 6.9) for households headed by men and IRR 9 million (USD 7.7) for households headed by women.

In addition, following focus group discussions conducted during the Joint Assessment Mission (December 7-18, 2025) and with the Centre for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (CAFIA) approval, WFP replaced the monthly in-kind entitlement of vegetable oil – one litre) per person per month – with a cash equivalent of IRR 3 million (USD 2.5) per person. This amount is now delivered directly to beneficiaries’ bank cards as part of their monthly cash assistance, providing greater flexibility to meet household consumption needs.

By January, WFP Iran helped ease the financial burden associated with the gluten-free dietary needs of 57 refugee celiac patients from WFP’s beneficiaries by providing them with an extra cash amount of IRR 9.7 million (USD 8.4) per person as a replacement for their usual food entitlement.

WFP supported 405 refugees with disabilities in December across eleven settlements, each receiving an additional monthly cash support of IRR 3 million (USD 2.5), on top of their regular aid. Initially launched in two provinces, the initiative was gradually expanded to cover settlements in Saveh, Semnan, Bani Najar, Sarvestan, Bezileh, Abazar, Rafsanjan, Bardsir, Jahrom, Meybod, and Torbat-e-jam.

WFP’s school feeding program reached 8,309 refugee students and their teachers in January, with daily snacks consisting of date bars and biscuits. Milk could not be procured due to funding shortfalls and its high cost.

WFP provided 2,607 refugee girls with a monthly cash incentive of IRR 2 million (USD 1.7) transferred to their bank accounts. This is a part of WFP Iran’s efforts to promote education for refugee girls by providing them with cash for each month of regular school attendance.

To enhance the economic resilience and self-sufficiency of 364 refugees (50 percent women) in January, WFP continued its support for 26 income-generating initiatives across 18 settlements. Activities included welding, tailoring, baking, and farming, among others.

A joint vulnerability assessment mission was conducted from December 7 to 19 in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), covering four refugee settlements: Saveh, Abazar, Rafsanjan, and Taft.

Early findings underscored the need to maintain assistance while improving targeting accuracy and considering increased top-ups for the most vulnerable groups in view of rising inflation and currency depreciation in the country. The preliminary recommendations have since been consolidated into a two-page brief for presentation to CAFIA during a tripartite meeting involving WFP, UNHCR, and CAFIA management in the coming month.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, an upper-middle income country with a population of over 91 million, is the largest refugee-hosting country in the world, sheltering an estimated 3.49 million refugees and refugee-like populations (UNHCR) and 6.1 million according to the Government of Iran, including unregistered individuals, predominantly from Afghanistan, for over four decades. With no viable return or relocation options, sustained humanitarian assistance remains critical. Most of the displaced people originate from Afghanistan and Iraq and live in urban areas, while more than 33,000 of the most vulnerable refugees live in 20 settlements scattered across the country.

WFP has been operating in Iran since 1962, initially for its first emergency earthquake response until 1978, and subsequently reinitiating operations to address the refugee crisis from 1987 onwards.