High Commissioner for Refugees visits Syria, assesses humanitarian needs
On his fourth visit to Syria as High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi assessed the massive humanitarian needs facing the population here. After eight years of war, he observed that the magnitude of the humanitarian problem is staggering, exacerbated by the...
Start-up restores hope for displaced Congolese and local communities in DR Congo
A new sense of purpose is rekindled among displaced Congolese and locals, working together to empower themselves and address gender-based violence. By Natalia Micevic in Kitchanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo Elisa’s face lights up as she talks about the small...
UNHCR to speak at Munk School event on displacement in Northern Central America
UNHCR Canada is participating in a panel at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy to discuss forced migration in Central America, the causes of “caravans” and Canada’s response to the regional crisis. The event will be held on Tuesday,...
Lebanon’s ‘Fun Bus’ offers kids a respite from street work
Joint UNHCR and EU scheme offers Syrian refugees and other children a safe space to learn and play, as part of wider push to get kids out of work and into school. By Dalal Mawad in Beirut, Lebanon On a recent afternoon in a drab neighborhood in the west of Lebanon’s...
Yemenis’ battle to survive deepens as conflict grinds on
Nearly four years of war have left 24.1 million children, women and men in urgent need of food, shelter, medical care and schooling. By Bathoul Ahmed in Aden, Yemen When she wakes up in her family’s fragile shack each morning, Hamamah faces the bitter reality of war...
Beyond Roxham Road: a story on irregular border crossing
18 months after having crossed the U.S.-Canada border irregularly, a Haitian refugee is doing what it takes to succeed in Canada By Gisèle Nyembwe in Montreal, Canada Pierre reaches into his backpack and searches calmly through a bunch of documents. He takes out a...
Opinion: We have a common responsibility to fight anti-refugee rhetoric
You have often heard us at UNHCR raising the alarm about populist rhetoric that demonizes refugees, asylum seekers or migrants. In Canada, like in many Western countries these days, terms such as “illegals” or “refugee crisis” are used to describe those arriving at...
Harry Leslie Smith’s son follows in his footsteps
John Smith is determined to carry on Harry Leslie Smith’s legacy of advocating for refugees In a previous story, UNHCR Canada wrote about Harry Leslie Smith, the 95-year-old social justice activist who was travelling the world advocating for refugees, his every...