Venezuelans living in the streets find safety in Colombia
Darlys and her children were among the thousands of Venezuelans exposed to serious risks in Maicao. A new reception centre offers temporary housing for the most vulnerable. By Marco Rotunno in Maicao, Colombia When Darlys* fled Venezuela with her two children looking...
I stopped by your house in Syria today, but no one was home
Eight years into the war in Syria, I paid a visit to the house where my friend Hani Al Moulia grew up. Like vast parts of his hometown, it was in a state of ruin. That night, I wrote Hani a letter: Dear Hani, I stopped by your house today, but you weren’t home. No one...
Rohingya refugee volunteers work to avert monsoon damage in Bangladesh
Volunteers are at the forefront of a drive to protect residents of the sprawling refugee settlements as the cyclone and monsoon season approaches. By Caroline Gluck and Iffath Yeasmine in Chakmarkul refugee settlement, Bangladesh Stepping along a narrow, winding...
Why including refugees makes economic sense
UNHCR’s new Director of the Africa Bureau, Raouf Mazou, says the socioeconomic inclusion of refugees is vital to the agency’s efforts to protect and assist them. By Ariane Rummery in Geneva The lightbulb moment for Raouf Mazou, who recently wound up a five-year stint...
UN Refugee Chief urges Security Council for firm response to record-high displacement
Filippo Grandi stressed that it is possible to address unprecedented stigmatization of refugees and migrants. NEW YORK – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, today reminded international leaders at the United Nations Security Council of their...Amid Libya clashes, UNHCR relocates detained refugees to safety
In light of current insecurity in Libya’s capital, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today relocated more than 150 refugees from the Ain Zara detention centre in south Tripoli to UNHCR’s Gathering and Departure Facility in a nearby safe zone. The Ain Zara detention centre...
Swollen rivers, mass crowding, add to risks at Venezuela borders
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Despite Venezuela having officially closed its land borders with neighbouring...
Venezuelans risk life and limb to seek help in Colombia
Refugees and migrants brave floods, bandits and treacherous footpaths in a desperate search for food, medicine and safety in Cúcuta. By William Spindler CÚCUTA, Colombia – Venezuelan Jose Luis Jimenez already risked bandits and armed groups to slip across the border...