NRC Chief: Children’s Textbooks Found Under Rubble of Recent Strikes in Iran

DID Press: Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland, has warned that children affected by recent bombardments in Iran are facing severe psychological trauma and urgent humanitarian needs.

During a visit to a damaged residential complex in Tehran, Egeland said that amid the rubble left by Israeli and U.S. strikes, children’s toys and school textbooks were found—evidence, he noted, of heavy civilian impact and widespread destruction.

He said NRC and partner organizations in Iran are providing basic education for Afghan refugee children as well as psychosocial support to address trauma caused by conflict.

Egeland added that more than four million Afghan refugees are currently living in Iran and require greater international assistance. He warned that continued shortages in humanitarian funding could worsen the social and human consequences of the crisis.

He also criticized declining global aid contributions, noting that with support from Norway and Sweden, around 9,000 families who lost everything in the war have received emergency assistance, but many international donors have not significantly contributed to support Afghan refugees and affected civilians.