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.
Chasing Away the Shadows
Refugee camps can be dark places. For many thousands of people living in tents and caravans far from home, the day effectively stops at sundown. Lack of light puts refugees at greater risk of injury or misfortune, limits their educational prospects and makes it harder...
Aid worker as hostage: Why 317 days must not be forgotten
It was 17 years ago that Vincent Cochetel, a UNHCR aid worker, was held hostage for 317 days in a dark Chechen basement, tortured and alone. For the first time, he tells his story of terror, but also of insight and inspiration. A TED Talk like no other, this video...
Three Baby Brothers
“How do you tell them apart?” I ask Jalila, the grandmother of newborn triplets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. “I just know,” she replies confidently. The baby boy in her hand, she notes, looks different from his two brothers, who are identical. I take a closer look, but...
UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie visits Iraq, calls for international leadership to end suffering
DOHUK, Iraq, January 25 (UNHCR)– The UN refugee agency's Special Envoy Angelina Jolie is in Dohuk, Iraq, visiting Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqi citizens in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to offer support to 3.3 million displaced people in the country and highlight...
The Snow Storm
Aisha, a mother of four from Syria, wraps a blanket around her shoulders as the wind beats against the walls of the tent. Outside, snow is piling up and soon the family’s food will run out. “We are really scared of the storm,” she says, shivering as she hands some...
The Sound of Peace
Every morning, Ahmad gently wakes his six-year-old son, Abdu. Then he places hearing aids over the boy’s ears and asks him what he can hear. It is a ritual they cherish, a moment when they remember just how much their lives have changed. Ahmad and Abdu are Syrian...
Try this 75-second visualization exercise
It’s hard to imagine what a group of 1.5 million children looks like. Or what it would be like if they all had to run from their homes, in need of food, shelter, care and protection from harm. The numbers that describe today’s refugee crisis are often hopelessly...
Thank You for Supporting Refugees
At a time when the number of refugees and displaced people around the world reached more than 50 million—the highest since WWII—you gave generously and thoughtfully to UNHCR. Thank you. It would be easy to become overwhelmed by that number, but we’re not and we know...
5 Things You Should Know About The #CARcrisis
Violence in Central African Republic continues to flare and drive hundreds of thousands of terrified families from their homes. Here are 5 things to know. 1. How long has it been happening? A history of military coups and rebellion in the Central African Republic...
Statelessness in Lebanon: Leal’s Story
"To be stateless is like you don't exist, you simply don't exist. You live in a parallel world with no proof of your identity" - Leal Leal was born in Lebanon but is stateless. Her grandfather was Lebanese but did not register the birth of Leal's father. As Leal's...
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