From Syria to Canada, lawyer to journalist
A conversation with Canadian Press reporter Maan Alhmidi By Yasmine Saker March of 2022 marked eleven years since the beginning of the conflict in my home country, Syria, a milestone I hoped we never got to commemorate. While thousands of people are forced to flee...
UN High Commissioner for Refugees calls for immediate end to Ukraine war, which has uprooted over 10 million people
Lviv, Ukraine – Visiting Ukraine for the first time since the Russian military offensive, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi appealed today in the strongest terms for an end to the war, while calling on the international community to provide sustained...
Football unites in global appeal for the United Nations response to Ukraine
As the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine approaches four million, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and World Food Programme (WFP) launch the Football for Ukraine Emergency Appeal’ Geneva, London, Rome – Six leading footballers, three of whom are former refugees, are...
High Commissioner’s message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Statement by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Last year on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I called for introspection as a means to reexamine prejudice, privilege and the way we view the world. Over the past year, I...
With love from Syria: bringing Syrian food to Canada, one Yalanji at a time
Catering business uses food to empower Syrian refugee women in Canada and help with their integration By Yasmine Saker When Ayda Alnoofoori and her two daughters arrived in Ottawa, Canada, back in 2015, she brought with her much more than the few suitcases that...
Unaccompanied and separated children fleeing escalating conflict in Ukraine must be protected
Joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi NEW YORK/GENEVA – In the past week, more than one million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine seeking safety and protection. Hundreds...
UNHCR Canada’s statement on Canada’s contribution to the Ukraine Flash Appeal
In response to the announcement today by Minister Harjit Sajjan that Canada is pledging $100 million CAD to the UN emergency appeal for Ukraine, UN Refugee Agency Representative in Canada, Rema Jamous Imseis, said: “We thank Canada for its generous contribution of...
1 million refugees have fled Ukraine in a week
This statement is attributed to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi In just seven days, one million people have fled Ukraine, uprooted by this senseless war. I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as...