Live blog: Global Refugee Forum — Day 1
A three-day gathering on refugees kicks off in Geneva, aiming to bolster the global response and foster inclusion. By UNHCR staff in Geneva The first Global Refugee Forum comes at the end of a tumultuous decade in which the number of refugees worldwide has doubled to...
First solo flight shows sky’s the limit for refugees
Four years ago Maya Ghazal fled the fighting in Syria. Now a trainee pilot, she’s advocating for opportunities for refugees at the Global Refugee Forum. By Matthew Mpoke Bigg in Uxbridge, United Kingdom One recent cloudy morning, Maya Ghazal climbed into the cockpit...
Canada at the forefront of innovations for refugees
By Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Representative in Canada Every year, we publish new statistics about the world’s forcibly displaced. And every year, we break a record. There has never been so many families running for their lives from wars and persecution. The accuracy...
Turning weeds into energy in Ethiopia
A cooperative of Somali refugees and Ethiopian host community, supported by the IKEA Foundation, turn invasive weeds into energy. By Katie Nguyen in Bur Amino, Ethiopia When Asha Abdikadir Ahmed used to cook with firewood, her restaurant filled with billowing clouds...
UNHCR urges intensified support for displaced Afghans and refugee hosting nations
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, is appealing for intensified support for displaced...
Malta joins global efforts to address statelessness
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes Malta’s decision to join global efforts to end statelessness by 2024 after it acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons on 11 December 2019. “This is a commendable step in protecting stateless...
UNHCR head appeals to South Sudan parties to ensure long-lasting peace
Six years after the outbreak of violence in South Sudan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is calling on all parties to boost efforts to form an inclusive national unity government in order to achieve permanent peace. Despite the signing of the peace...
Refugees get traction in Germany’s auto industry
A programme by Volkswagen offers refugees a path to a permanent job at the world’s largest auto maker. By Josie Le Blond in Baunatal, Germany When Volkswagen – the world’s largest automaker – offered Mastura Ekhlas a place on a programme that could lead to a permanent...