4 million Afghan refugees have received COVID vaccination in Iran, claims WHO envoy

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) representative in Iran Jafar Hussain announced on Sunday that around 4 million Afghan refugees in Iran have received the COVID vaccine, as per the reports of Khamma Press. Hussain highlighted the Iranian government's vaccination of immigrants as a significant accomplishment. While Iran is immersed in the Corona issue,  Jafar Hussain is discussing the vaccination of Afghans in Iran.

On Saturday, Iran's Ministry of Health announced that 87 more individuals died in the country as a result of the coronavirus. More than three thousand new cases of COVID-19 were found in Iran, according to Khamma Press. Iranian Ministry of Health also announced that the overall number of corona deaths in Iran has reached 129,549, with 6,105,101 individuals infected with the virus.

COVID deaths drop to zero in ten Iranian provinces

The Iranian Ministry of Health also reported that corona deaths had dropped to zero in ten provinces overnight, according to Khamma Press. The health ministry announced last week that more than half of Iran's population has been properly vaccinated against COVID-19. Since the country's vaccination campaign began in February, more than 44.2 million of Iran's 83 million people have received two coronavirus vaccine doses, according to ministry data.

Despite facing the COVID issue, Iran is aiding the Afghans. According to Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), between 4,000 and 5,000 Afghans walk into Iran each day through unofficial border crossings. NRC is aiding those Afghans, as well as hundreds of thousands of others who have been hiding in Iran for much longer, some for decades. While just a small number of people have returned to Afghanistan, the number of newcomers in Iran is increasing.

Humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan turning severe

As the Afghan winter approaches and temperatures drop below freezing, Afghans fleeing their country might continue. Furthermore, the country's economy is in free collapse, and the humanitarian catastrophe is becoming more severe, according to Norwegian Refugee Council. The UN refugee agency has requested over $300 million in funding to assist up to 515,000 Afghans migrating to neighbouring countries by the end of the year. So far, only 32% of the appeal's goal has been met.

(Image: AP)