Stories
The latest stories from UNHCR.
Photo: © UNHCR/Roland Schonbauer
We take special care to bring you the latest refugee news and stories of the men, women and children we help each day.
‘Soccer is everything’: How Dacious Richardson’s love of the game helped him heal from a childhood shaped by war
From a childhood shaped by war in Liberia to building one of Vancouver’s most dynamic youth initiatives, soccer has remained a constant through every chapter of Dacious Richardson’s life. For him, it’s only the beginning of unlocking the game’s potential.
‘I’ll keep telling our stories until the world listens’: Milad Rajabi’s mission to create a space for refugees to be heard
From photographing displaced families in Afghanistan to becoming a refugee himself, Milad Rajabi has seen both sides of the story. Now in Canada, he is using his podcast Refugee Talk to amplify refugee voices and advocate for refugee-led change.
Uganda continues to welcome refugees despite diminishing funds
More than 75,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Uganda, where resources are stretched with crowded schools, inadequate shelter, and limited access to food and health care.
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.
‘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 Society, the very organization that helped her rebuild her life in Canada.
‘We made it!’ How soccer helped Farkhunda Muhtaj find her purpose
For Farkhunda Muhtaj, soccer is much more than a game. Captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team, now playing for Calgary Wild FC in the Northern Super League, she represents both Canada and Afghanistan with pride, purpose, and unwavering resolve.
A badge of hope: One former refugee’s mission to change lives and reimagine policing
When Mustafa Popalzai arrived in Canada as a 14-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, he had little more than hope. Today, the Toronto police Detective Constable is a driving force behind a grassroots initiative to change lives for thousands of newcomers, but also help heal the mistrust many carry from painful encounters with police in their homelands.
How can we protect refugees from growing digital threats?
Online misinformation, disinformation and hate speech targeting refugees and asylum-seekers is causing real-world harms. Finding ways to tackle it is critical.
Defying gravity and expectations, former Syrian refugee Maya Ghazal gets her wings
A decade after arriving in the UK as a young refugee, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador officially becomes a commercial airline pilot and hopes her achievement will inspire other young refugees to aim high.
In Syria, UNHCR’s Grandi urges more support for refugees returning home
UN High Commissioner for Refugees marks World Refugee Day meeting Syrians going home, but warns that returns will prove short-lived without increased international assistance.
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