ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has said that instability in Iran could trigger large-scale movements of people, particularly towards Balochistan.

In a statement issued from UN Headquarters, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said Pakistan already hosts some 1.3 million registered refugees and it has limited capacity to absorb more.

He said that Afghanistan was already experiencing an escalation of hostilities with Pakistan, with more than 60,000 people being driven from their homes. Nearly 22 million people already need humanitarian support.

“We are constantly assessing the damage and the scale of the growing humanitarian response required, and scaling up where necessary and possible. I have activated contingency plans across Iran and the region — including in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, the OPT, Syria and Yemen. The limited presence of international NGOs and operational space in Iran makes the challenge there greater,” he said.

The humanitarian fallout from the escalation of violence in the Middle East is increasingly daunting and civilians are paying the price across the region.

The UN relief coordinator regretted that respect for international law is being challenged and eroded again. Each time civilian infrastructure is struck, access is restricted and aid is politicised, the space for humanitarian action shrinks.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2026