Dear friend,
Escalating conflicts in the Middle East have brought new levels of suffering for millions of people.
In Gaza, aid access remains extremely short of the widespread needs, as people remain desperate for food, water, and other supplies. In Iran, the conflict with Israel has expanded the displacement crisis for Afghan refugees who had previously fled to Iran and are now returning to Afghanistan — overwhelming humanitarian services at the border.
Mercy Corps teams and partners are working to meet the urgent needs of families and communities experiencing violence, displacement, and hunger as a result of these conflicts.
Please read on to learn about our response to these urgent crises — and if you’re ready to make your first gift to help us reach more families in need in 35+ countries, consider making a donation
right now.
Updates from Gaza
Displaced children receive a hot meal of rice at an emergency food distribution in northern Gaza in April, 2025. Photo: Abed Rahman Baba
As aid restrictions have slowly been lifted, our teams and partners have continued delivering lifesaving and life-sustaining aid to families who need it most. And we remain ready to dramatically scale up our efforts as soon as aid access improves.
Situation in Iran
At a border crossing in Herat Province, Afghanistan, the surge of refugees from Iran is stretching humanitarian services to the limit. Photo: Faraidoon Osmani / Mercy Corps
The Iran-Israel conflict has triggered a massive exodus of Afghan refugees from Iran, who are now returning to their homeland after fleeing to Iran to escape violence in Afghanistan. Even before the conflict began, Iran’s government had ordered nearly 4 million Afghan people to leave the country. Since January, more than 450,000 people have returned from Iran alone.
The sheer number of returnees is overwhelming border facilities and humanitarian aid efforts. Trade route disruptions and rising import costs are driving up expenses and limiting access to essential supplies like food, fuel, and construction materials.
Herat Province is the main returnee hub, with large numbers of people arriving at border crossings like the one shown above. The spike in returnees threatens to overwhelm public infrastructure and worsen an already critical humanitarian crisis, compounded by significant cuts to foreign assistance funding for Afghanistan.
How we’re responding
Mercy Corps teams are working closely with the United Nations, other humanitarian aid organizations, and local actors to respond swiftly and effectively. We’re planning to provide cash aid and urgent water, sanitation, and hygiene support, with the goal of reaching an initial 8,000 households.
Mercy Corps is working quickly to scale up our operations to meet the growing needs of Afghan refugees looking to return home.
As we continue to deliver critical aid to families facing conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and extreme hunger, will you rush a donation right now to fuel our work in Gaza, Afghanistan, Iran, and 35+ countries around the world?
Sincerely,
The Mercy Corps team
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