Mozambique: Assistance for families fleeing conflict in Cabo Delgado

Humans of Sahel

“Give us a space at the table and we’ll change the world,” said Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an activist from Chad who advocates for environmental justice and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Established in 2007, the High Commissioner’s Dialogue facilitates an exchange of views between refugees, governments, civil society, the private sector, academics and international organizations on emerging challenges in humanitarian protection. This year, UN Refugee’s focus is on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects displaced and stateless people.

In Ethiopia, families displaced by communal violence rebuild their lives, one step at a time

One of the main obstacles that refugee face when applying for higher education or seeking employment in host countries is a lack of recognition of prior qualifications acquired in their country of origin.

Mentored by Grammy winner Ricky Kej, 24 refugee musicians in India came together in a song of hope and kindness.

Mayerlín Vergara Pérez, Maye, has dedicated her life to defending children. As the Caribbean Regional Coordinator for the Renacer Foundation she has devoted more than two decades to helping the Colombian non-profit reach its goal of eradicating sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adolescents. For over 20 years, Maye has gone to extraordinary lengths, often risking her own safety to rescue girls and boys who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. "Her bravery and selfless pursuit to rescue and protect some of the world’s most vulnerable children is nothing short of heroic,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Six Years After Sinjar Massacre, Support and Services are Vital for Returning Yazidis

Egyptian football star Mo Salah and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged the world to ensure that COVID-19 does not block access to education for millions of young refugees. “We must make sure that all young people – including refugees – get an education,” said Salah, Ambassador for the Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR Instant Network Schools (INS) programme, which provides online tools and services in refugee camps.

Labour migration from Pakistan has steadily increased in recent decades and continues to improve family and community livelihoods. However, a lack of good information about safe migration, fair recruitment channels and related services is a key challenge for those interested in becoming migrant workers. ILO warns that without accurate information they can be vulnerable to deception and even abuse. Volunteers aim to ensure fair recruitment and safe migration for migrant workers from Pakistan.

Eighteen people died and others wounded in an overnight attack in Cameroon close to the Nigerian border, where thousands of internally displaced people have sought safety. Insecurity in the Far North region continues. 2,000 residents have adjusted their routines in fear of attack, making their lives even harder. UNHCR provides protection and assistance with water, food, shelter and other items to more than 400,000 refugees in Cameroon, mainly from Nigeria and the Central African Republic.

As we mark five years after Europe’s refugee crisis, we revisit Awake at Night's episode with Boris Cheshirkov, who worked for UNHCR as a spokesperson in his native Bulgaria when thousands of refugees were arriving at the border. 

Future for Rohingya: Refugees refuse to lose hope

She was 11 before she saw the inside of a classroom, so Parisa was not about to stop learning even under lockdown. “My sister and I followed our lessons on the television, but we had to borrow my older sister’s smartphone to do our exams,” she said. A decade ago, her family fled Afghanistan after the Taliban terrorized their neighbourhood in Herat. The extremists also threatened to kidnap any girls who dared to go to school. In Iran, where her family fled to, Parisa and her six siblings found safety, but during her first years in exile she couldn’t go to school. Based on UNHCR data, the Malala Fund has estimated that as a result of the coronavirus half of all refugee girls in secondary school will not return when classrooms reopen this month.

UNHCR assists in relocating many vulnerable refugee children to Luxembourg and Germany from insecure reception centres. The move came at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.