Toronto refugee shelter provides safety and opportunity for newcomers
In the midst of a city-wide housing crisis, a local shelter gives newcomers the tools to find a stable beginning. By Lidia Abraha When Janet* landed in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport from Uganda, she was immediately taken to the Willowdale Welcome...
Ethiopian refugees in Kenya make an emotional return home
Dozens of refugees return home to eastern Ethiopia from Kenya’s Kakuma camp. By Catherine Wachiaya in Nairobi, Kenya Ever since Ardo Hassan Kowdan fled Ethiopia to Kenya 11 years ago, she had dreamed of the day she could go home. As she boarded a plane in Kakuma, in...
Refugee voices: Inspiring stories of young refugees in Canada
Youth Ottawa and UNHCR Canada teamed up to share the powerful stories of young refugees in Ottawa Edited by Hodman Ali in Ottawa, Canada During the summer 2019, UNHCR Canada partnered with Youth Ottawa on a storytelling initiative supporting youth engagement. Three...
Helping refugees find jobs that match their skills and experience through mentorship
With the support of Canadian mentors, refugees learn how to get started on the local job market By Rana Khan in Toronto, Canada For newly arrived refugees, finding a job is an important part of integrating into a new community, and it can give them a renewed sense of...
First major group of Ethiopian refugees return home from Kenya
A group of 76 Ethiopian refugees have voluntarily returned home from Kenya’s Kakuma camp today. This marks the first major voluntary repatriation program for Ethiopian refugees in the country. The movement, supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the...
UN High Commissioner for Refugees appeals for safety for civilians trapped in Idlib
With the dramatically worsening situation in Syria’s Idlib province, where close to a million people are in grave danger, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi supports calls for a cessation of hostilities and appeals for urgent action to allow people...
World must act and deliver for Afghan refugees, says UN chief
At the Refugee Summit in Islamabad, leaders celebrated the enduring generosity of Pakistan and Iran in hosting Afghans – and urged other nations to do more to sustain them. By Christopher Reardon in Islamabad, Pakistan The world must step up and do more for Afghan...UNHCR saddened by refugee deaths in stampede for aid in Niger
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened by the reports of the deaths of at least 20 people, among them women and infants, during a stampede for food and cash in Niger’s Diffa region on Sunday. The assistance was being distributed independently by visiting...