Iranians fleeing to neighbouring countries: UN

The International Organization for Migration said deteriorating conditions in Iranian cities are “driving increasingly complex mobility patterns”.

The agency warned that the destruction of homes and facilities providing basic services is pushing many Iranians towards northern provinces, where they believe they may be safer.

The UN agency added that people have been displaced to more than 20 provinces and that shelters are under strain throughout Iran.

Iranians are also fleeing to neighbouring countries, with nearly 32,000 people crossing into Afghanistan and almost 4,000 into Pakistan, even though airports and most border crossings - particularly those to Iraq - remain closed.