Up to 3.2 million people displaced across Iran amid US-Israeli attacks: UN

United Nations refugee agency says forced displacement likely to increase as US and Israel continue deadly strikes across Iran.Published On 12 Mar 2026More than three million people have been displaced in Iran since the United States and Israel launched a war against the country late last month, the United Nations says, as concerns mount over a worsening humanitarian crisis.The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday that as many as 3.2 million people – representing between 600,000 and one million Iranian households – have been forcibly displaced since the war began on February 28.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran war: What is happening on day 13 of US-Israel attacks?list 2 of 3Iran says it targets Israeli bases, accuses Israel of targeting hospitalslist 3 of 3The Take: How will Iran’s new supreme leader change the war?end of list“Most of them are reportedly fleeing from Tehran and other major urban areas towards the north of the country and rural areas to seek safety,” UNHCR official Ayaki Ito said in a statement. “This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs.”The US and Israeli militaries have continued to bombard Iran despite mounting international condemnation and calls for de-escalation.More than 1,300 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks across the country to date, according to the latest figures from Iranian officials.While the US and Israel have said they are targeting Iranian leaders as well as military and nuclear infrastructure, Iran says thousands of civilian sites, such as schools and hospitals, have been attacked.Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told Al Jazeera on Thursday that medical teams have been responding to a growing number of casualties as strikes on urban areas have intensified in recent days.“Most of these people are civilians,” Jafarian said, adding that more than 30 hospitals and health facilities have been damaged due to the attacks.