UN warns of mounting humanitarian toll amid escalating Israel-Iran hostilities
UNITED NATIONS: As deadly missile strikes between Israel and Iran continue into a second week, the United Nations has raised serious concerns over the escalating impact on civilians, cautioning against widespread displacement and growing regional instability.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged both nations to exercise “maximum restraint” and emphasized their obligation to uphold international humanitarian law.
The ongoing conflict was triggered by a large-scale, unprovoked Israeli assault on multiple locations in Iran last Friday.
“The wide-scale, continuing attacks by Israel across Iran, and the missile and drone strikes launched in response by Iran, are inflicting severe human rights and humanitarian impacts on civilians, and risk setting the whole region ablaze,” he said in a statement.
“The only way out of this spiralling illogic of escalation is maximum restraint, full respect for international law, and return in good faith to the negotiating table,” he stressed.
“It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities,” he said, adding that threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a “worrying intention” to inflict harm on civilians.
The airstrikes, missile and drone attacks – launched by both Israel and Iran since 13 June – have caused heavy damage to civilian infrastructure and claimed hundreds of lives.
According to Iranian authorities, at least 224 people have been killed, while human rights groups report significantly higher figures. In Israel, officials report 24 deaths and more than 840 injuries so far.
Israel’s call for civilians to evacuate on Tuesday triggered panic across Tehran, resulting in heavy traffic jams on highways. Movement has reportedly been hampered across the country by fuel shortages, leading to hours-long queues at petrol stations.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation, adding that it is monitoring reports that people are on the move within Iran and that some are leaving for neighbouring countries.
UNHCR Spokesperson Babar Baloch cautioned that the situation remained fluid and hard to verify.
“Iran has long hosted the largest Afghan refugee population in the world. Now, its own people are experiencing devastation and fear,” Mr. Baloch added.
He also emphasised the principle of non-refoulement, calling on neighbouring countries to grant protection to anyone fleeing violence, and not turn them back.
Iran hosts an estimated 3.5 million refugees and those in refugee-like situations, including some 750,000 registered Afghans and over 2.6 million undocumented individuals.
