Forced displacement passes 80 million by mid-2020 as COVID-19 tests refugee protection globally
While a full picture for 2020 is yet to be established, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates that global forced displacement surpassed 80 million at mid-year, according to a report on trends in global forced displacement released today in Geneva. At the beginning...
Central America and Mexico reaffirm commitment to address the needs of hundreds of thousands forced to flee
MIRPS countries commit to continue advancing effective responses to forced displacement in Central America during their third annual meeting. 8 December 2020 – The seven countries that form part of the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS)...
‘Walking in their shoes has given me the tools I need to serve’
UNHCR has over 17,000 personnel. Meet Elvia Peñaranda, a Venezuelan UN Refugee Volunteer who draws on her own experiences to assist Venezuelans refugees and migrants in Colombia. By Fernando Hernández Parada in Cúcuta, Colombia Name: Elvia Eduviges Peñaranda, 38, from...
UNHCR poised to resume aid delivery to displaced in Tigray
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. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, stands ready to resume its full humanitarian activities...
COVID-19 crisis offers lesson on climate response for refugees
Global response to the COVID-19 pandemic offers insights on how to mitigate the impact of climate change on displaced populations, says UNHCR’s Gillian Triggs. By UNHCR Staff The COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as a test case for the world’s emergency preparedness to...
Venezuelan jeweller defies disability to start over in exile
Discrimination and hurdles in accessing jobs, schools and health care make it harder for millions of refugees and asylum-seekers with disabilities to restart their lives. By Jaime Giménez in Quito, Ecuador When she reached Ecuador, Venezuelan jeweller Stephanie set...
Twin scourges COVID-19 and climate change threaten world’s displaced and stateless
To fight climate change, the world must learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and act with urgency – or risk far-reaching and lethal consequences for people who are forced from their homes, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs, said today....
Donors show solidarity with refugees and steadfast support for UNHCR programmes for 2021
Donor governments today pledged a record US$932 million to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, for next year’s activities at its annual pledging conference in Geneva. These generous initial pledges will allow UNHCR to continue to deliver life-saving aid and to protect the...