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Mr. António Guterres, the UN High from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, sends a message to UNHCR's donors. |
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Ana Ferrero, Field Protection Officer, the UN Refugee Agency Branch Office, Colombia
Mr. António Guterres joined the UN Refugee Agency as High Commissioner on 15 June 2005, succeeding Mr. Ruud Lubbers of the Netherlands. Mr. Guterres was elected by the UN General Assembly to a five-year term and is UNHCR’s 10th High Commissioner.
Dear Friends,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support to our agency and the refugees we serve. Their needs are many, but every day we see the effect our work is having. Whether it is providing emergency assistance to people fleeing the fighting in Darfur, helping families to rebuild homes in Afghanistan, or increasing the numbers of refugee girls in school, this work would not be possible without the support of generous individuals like you.
I take up the leadership of the UN Refugee Agency at a time when the right of refugees to seek asylum is still very much at risk. I believe that we have a crucial role to play in today’s humanitarian world, and this conviction makes me very enthusiastic about leading this organisation and its dedicated staff through these challenging times. I am honoured to know that we have your support and that many people are willing to stand alongside us and are committed to making a difference in the lives of refugees. I urge you to stay involved and join our effort to bring hope to those in need.
Thank you.
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Ana Ferrero, Field Protection Officer, the UN Refugee Agency Branch Office, Colombia – originally from Zamora in Spain.
Q: What do you do?
A: I help internally displaced people (IDPs) in the border areas of Colombia and work at improving the asylum process for Colombian asylum-seekers and refugees in neighbouring countries.
Q: Why do you do it?
A: It’s very exciting and challenging. Colombia is experiencing the greatest humanitarian crisis in the Americas – official figures state that this armed conflict has displaced between 2.5 and 3 million people.
Q: What are the most pressing needs in your operation?
A: Over 10% of the world’s internally displaced people are Colombian. In 2004, more than 20,000 Colombians sought asylum – and numbers are increasing, year on year. The most pressing requirement is to highlight IDP issues in the political agenda, so we can protect and assist those in need.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your work?
A: To strengthen the presence of state institutions and increase access to basic services for internally displaced people – and working in the field to aid and protect people in risk areas and identify gaps in assistance and need.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your work?
A: Enabling refugees to enjoy the same human rights as you and me!
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For more of the latest news on the situation in Colombia, visit the Colombia Country page on the UNHCR's International website.
