Disease threatens refugees in Bangladesh in unplanned sites
Racing to prevent a ‘disaster within a disaster,’ UNHCR ups vaccine, clean water and sanitation drives in informal Bangladesh settlements. KUTUPALONG REFUGEE CAMP EXTENSION, Bangladesh – It is about 10 steps from mother Khaleda Begum’s flimsy shack to the well where...
Bangladesh elephant rampage highlights dangers for refugees
KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh—After fleeing flames and gunfire in Myanmar, Rohingya refugee Jane Alam thought danger was behind him in Bangladesh. But as he slept last night in a fragile shelter in a forested area near Kutupalong refugee camp, rampaging elephants crashed in...
South Sudanese teenager dreams of taking to the skies
Nyahok Reath has her heart set on becoming a pilot and she is determined to complete her education to achieve her ambition. Nyahok Reath was a star pupil at her primary school in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State and had her heart set on becoming a pilot. However,...
Elderly Rohingya rely on families to carry them to safety
The old and sick are among the most vulnerable of the estimated 370,000 Rohingya who fled violence in Myanmar. Many are carried to Bangladesh by relatives. This is not how Mabia Khatun, 75, imagined she would spend her old age: as a refugee, cocooned in a blanket and...
“A promise is a man’s honour” – The Procyk’s Journey to Canada
A daughter describes her father’s journey from Polish immigrant to successful farmer in Wilsonville, Ontario. By Christine Wheeler My father William Procyk was six years old when his family made the journey from Poland to Canada, but he can still distinctly...
Khaled Hosseini Visits a Refugee Camp in Uganda
By Khaled Hosseini, award-winning author and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Looking over the shoulder of Gladys, a young South Sudanese refugee flicking through a frayed album of old family photos, my mind flashes back to my own younger self. In 1983 I was in high school....
Mother Opani and daughter find safety in Uganda
When Opani Lilias was met by UNHCR aid workers at the Ugandan border, she had been walking for a week straight with her daughter Brenda swaddled to her chest. Carrying only a small suitcase, Opani and Brenda arrived exhausted, having travelled without food or water,...
Shelter urgently needed for Rohingya fleeing Myanmar violence
Officials warn of ‘true crisis’ as an estimated 73,000 Rohingya seek safety in already strained Bangladesh refugee camps. KUTUPALONG CAMP, Bangladesh – Barefoot and running for her life, Rohingya Dilara, 20, reached Bangladesh in recent days clutching her young son,...