AMMAN, 31 July 2026 – “As war reverberates in Iran and neighboring countries, children continue to be killed and maimed in the places where they should be safest – their homes, schools and communities.“Yesterday, in Qeshm Island, off the southern coast of Iran, a two-year-old child was reportedly killed alongside the child’s parents after a strike hit a residential building. Another two children were reportedly injured in the same attack.“This latest incident is yet another stark reminder that children across the region continue to pay the heaviest price. In the last five months, more than 4,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured across six countries – more than 2,500 of them in Iran, with 386 children reported killed and 2,117 children reported injured.“Parties to the conflict should not normalize the suffering of children, who remain at the sharpest end of conflicts they did not start and have no power to stop.“UNICEF calls on all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Ceasefires must be fully respected and implemented. Parties must take all feasible measures to end the violence now and protect children at all times, wherever they may be."

Tehran, Iran – In the busy neighborhoods of Tehran’s District 12, many teenagers face serious challenges with drug use and risky behaviors such as fighting, running away from home or school, self-harm, and dark thoughts about suicide. Thanks to a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Iran and local experts, a promising new support program led by Dr. Masoumeh Maarefvand and her dedicated team, has shown how caring, team-based help can truly transform young lives. The program, tested in 2025, showed encouraging results. The team worked with 30 teenagers aged 12 to 18, and every one of them received full support from a helpful team of professionals.  From Risk to Real Change: What the Numbers ShowBefore the program started, all the teens were struggling with at least one serious risky behavior. Fighting and aggression, which affected 18 teens (60% of the group) at the start, dropped dramatically. After 45 days, only 3 teens still reported these issues. By 90 days, that number fell to just 2.Drug use showed similar strong progress. It started with 7 teens and went down to 2, then reached zero by the final check. Smoking, alcohol use, running away, self-harm, and thoughts of suicide also improved greatly. In several cases, these problems disappeared completely among the group. Teens who received more regular support sessions saw the biggest positive shifts.Beyond reducing problems, the program helped build better, safer lives. More teenagers returned to or stayed in school. They moved away from friends who encouraged risky choices and formed positive connections with trusted adults. Many started regular sports or activities, which gave them healthy ways to spend their time and energy. Families became more stable, and situations involving violence at home got better for many.The support worked because it touched every part of the teens’ daily lives — not just one-on-one talks, but real help with family relationships, school, friends, work, and community connections. A caring team including social workers, psychologists, and doctors worked together to coordinate everything. They visited homes, schools, and neighborhoods when needed and connected families to useful local services. How the Program Made It HappenThe team focused on practical steps that fit real Iranian life. They listened carefully to each teen and family, created personalized plans, and followed up regularly. Support included building life skills, helping with school or job goals, encouraging healthy hobbies, and strengthening family bonds. The program made good use of existing community resources instead of creating everything from scratch.People involved shared positive feedback. Team members explained that keeping each helper’s workload to about 10-12 teens allowed them to give high-quality attention. At first, some cases needed several hours a week, but as things improved, the support became lighter and more sustainable. Teens and parents said they finally felt truly heard and supported in meaningful ways.Simple but powerful lessons came out of the work: Quick individual advice alone often isn’t enough for teens facing many layered difficulties at home, school, and with friends. Real, lasting change happens when families and communities get actively involved too. The project showed that addressing the full picture around a young person creates stronger, longer-lasting results. UNODC Iran’s Role in Creating Lasting ImpactThis successful project highlights UNODC Iran’s ongoing commitment to practical, effective ways to prevent drug problems and support young people. By helping develop and test this approach the office helps create solutions that fit Iran’s context while drawing on global experience.The results offer clear, actionable hope for scaling up. Training more teams, using local services wisely, focusing on teens who need it most, and keeping track of progress over time can help many more young people. While challenges like coordinating between different organizations exist, the positive outcomes far outweigh them. The program not only lowered immediate risks but also created stronger support networks that can protect teens for years to come.Across Iran and the wider region, youth face ongoing risks from substance use and dangerous behaviors. This UNODC-supported effort provides a proven, hopeful way forward. It moves from simply reacting to problems toward building comprehensive support that empowers teens, strengthens families, and engages entire communities.This activity was made possible through the funding received from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Tehran – A delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), led by the FAO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Farrukh Toirov, conducted a four-day field mission to Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan and Kurdistan provinces from 12 to 15 July 2026 to support sustainable livestock development.Held under the project “Empowering Local Communities to Conserve and Develop Endangered Indigenous Livestock Gene Pool in the Northwest of Iran,” the mission brought together national and provincial stakeholders to assess field conditions and collect information that will contribute to the project's final workplan.Northwest Iran (the Islamic Republic of) is home to several valuable indigenous livestock breeds, including the Bactrian camel, Sarabi cattle, Mahabadi goat, and Markhoz goat. These breeds represent an important component of the country’s agricultural biodiversity and provide livelihoods, cultural identity, and resilience for rural and pastoral communities.During the mission, the delegation visited the livestock production areas in Ardabil, Sarab (East Azerbaijan Province), Mahabad (West Azerbaijan Province) and Dehgolan (Kurdistan Province), where they met with local authorities, technical experts, livestock producers and other stakeholders to discuss the status of livestock production systems, indigenous breeds and community priorities.The consultations provided an opportunity to validate and refine the project's planned interventions while gathering additional technical information to support evidence-based implementation. Discussions also focused on identifying opportunities and potential challenges that should be reflected in the project's operational planning."Field engagement is essential to ensure that project activities respond to the realities and priorities of livestock producers and locals," said FAO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Through close collaboration with our national and provincial partners, we can design interventions that are practical, locally relevant and capable of delivering sustainable benefits for rural communities."The project invests in the rehabilitation of grazing areas, strengthens milk and mohair processing facilities, and provides extensive training and capacity-development opportunities for livestock keepers, technical experts, and policymakers. In parallel, efforts will be made to enhance value chains and create new market opportunities for products derived from indigenous livestock breeds, helping improve incomes and economic resilience in rural areas. 

Torbat-e Jam, Islamic Republic of Iran – A refugee settlement in northeastern Iran is demonstrating how renewable energy can improve daily life while supporting national sustainability efforts.Through a project implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea and in partnership with the Center for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (CAFIA), the Torbat-e Jam settlement has significantly expanded its solar energy capacity—creating economic, environmental and social benefits for both Afghan refugees and the surrounding host community.The initiative is part of the project Scaling up Sustainable Settlements for Afghan Refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which aims to improve living conditions, expand access to sustainable infrastructure and strengthen livelihood opportunities for refugees while supporting local communities.Building on the achievements of the project's first phase, UNIDO expanded the settlement's photovoltaic power plant from 52.25 kilowatts to 200 kilowatts. The upgraded facility became operational in July 2025, enabling the settlement to generate substantially more clean electricity from one of the country's most abundant natural resources: sunshine.The results have been immediate. Within one year, electricity drawn from the national grid declined by nearly 36 per cent, while peak electricity demand fell by almost 60 per cent. These improvements have lowered energy costs for settlement management, reduced pressure on the national electricity network during periods of high demand, and helped provide a more reliable power supply for schools, health facilities and other community services.The environmental benefits are equally significant. Each year, the expanded solar plant is expected to generate approximately 432 megawatt-hours of clean electricity, avoiding an estimated 285 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It will also reduce natural gas consumption and save water that would otherwise be used in conventional electricity generation—an important contribution in the arid climate of Torbat-e Jam.Beyond the technology itself, the project is investing in people. UNIDO organized hands-on training for settlement personnel on operating and maintaining the photovoltaic system, helping build local technical expertise and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the investment. The training also strengthens community ownership of the system and equips participants with practical skills that can support future employment opportunities."The training gave us hands-on skills and confidence to maintain and optimize the PV system," said Mohsen, a 29-year-old participant. "I can already see how our teamwork makes power more reliable for our families and community services."The solar expansion also contributes to Iran's efforts to increase the use of renewable energy which can simultaneously advance humanitarian assistance, environmental sustainability, and national development priorities.As the project continues, the experience in Torbat-e Jam offers strong foundation for scaling similar interventions across other refugee settlements in Iran. With continued collaboration among UNIDO, CAFIA, Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), the Government of the Republic of Korea, and national and local partners, this initiative offers a replicable model for delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions that strengthen both refugee communities and their hosts while advancing national climate and development goals.