In a video recently published from Ahwaz, a father from the Arab people of Ahwaz, with a calm yet sorrowful voice

Ahwaz Human Rights Centre – UK

In a video recently published from Ahwaz, a father from the Arab people of Ahwaz, with a calm yet sorrowful voice, speaks about the difficult living conditions he and his family are facing. A simple yet profound account that clearly illustrates the structural discrimination and imposed poverty on the Arab people of Ahwaz.

He says he has four children, and all four of them are unemployed. One of his sons, along with two sons-in-law, due to the lack of job opportunities, has been forced to migrate to the city of Yazd to make a living. A migration not out of choice, but as a result of poverty and deprivation in a land that for years has provided a large portion of Iran’s wealth.

This father also speaks about another son who was severely injured during the war and lost the ability to walk in both legs. Today, in the same physical condition, he is forced to set up a street stall in the market to cover his living expenses. The father says with regret: although we are native to this land, none of my children were able to get hired by the oil and gas companies. And with tearful eyes, he repeats:
We are oppressed… the most oppressed

This account is a reflection of a broader reality where the Arab people of Ahwaz, despite living atop one of the richest energy resources in the world, face unemployment, poverty, job discrimination, forced migration, systematic exclusion from economic opportunities, and a lack of attention to the condition of people with disabilities.

Ahwaz Human Rights Centre – UK
calls on international bodies, human rights organizations, and UN special rapporteurs not to remain indifferent to this unjust situation. We urge effective action to end structural discrimination, imposed poverty, and systematic deprivation against the Arab people of Ahwaz issues that have stripped thousands of families of their human dignity and the right to a dignified life.

9 August 2025 / 19 Mordad 1404
Ahwaz Human Rights Centre – UK