UNHCR calls for urgent aid to Afghanistan’s earthquake-hit communities
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Following Sunday’s devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, UNHCR, the UN Refugee...
UNHCR’s Grandi calls for urgent international support to help refugees returning home in DR Congo and Rwanda
GENEVA – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has concluded a week-long visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, urging greater international support for peace in the region and humanitarian efforts so that refugees and...
Attacks continue to force displacement from frontline areas in Ukraine
Humanitarian needs soar as more people are evacuated or flee relentless Russian attacks in frontline regions. Supporting them remains a top priority for UNHCR and its local NGO partners By Elisabeth Haslund and Chadi Ouanes Even with two small children and pregnant...
UNHCR welcomes Royal Thai Government resolution providing long-term refugees the right to work
GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today commended the Royal Thai Government’s adoption of a resolution that will grant long-staying refugees from Myanmar the right to work in Thailand. Recognizing the protracted situation of some 81,000 forcibly displaced people...
Leveling the field: How Nyota Katembo turned refugee roots into a rising soccer career
When Nyota Katembo steps onto the field, everything else fades away; the noise, the pressure, the weight of her past By Zeba Tasci in Ottawa, Canada On the pitch, she’s just a player chasing a ball. But off it, she’s become so much more: a role model, a sister, a...
‘We thought we would never sing again’: How Maryam Masoomi escaped the Taliban and rebuilt her life in Saskatoon
When the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021, Maryam Masoomi was a university student who suddenly found herself helping lead the escape of more than 200 people—herself included. That experience now shapes her work with newcomer youth at the Saskatoon Open Door...
Cholera outbreak among refugees from Sudan’s Darfur, urgent funding needed
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR Protection Officer for Darfur Jocelyn Elizabeth Knight, and UNHCR Principal Situation Coordinator for Eastern Chad Dossou Patrice Ahouansou – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the...
UNHCR urges Pakistan to exempt Afghans with international protection needs from involuntary return
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has expressed concern over Pakistan’s intention...