Citizenship tastes sweet to Kyrgyzstan beekeeper
Abdusamat Saparov dreamed of being a beekeeper for over 20 years. But without a birth certificate or passport, it seemed impossible. By Kate Bond in Osh, the Kyrgyz Republic A breeze brushes through the grass. Donkeys meander along a dirt track. Amid a puff of grey...
Brutal violence in northern Nigeria forces thousands into Niger
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. More than 40,000 people have now been forced to cross from northwest Nigeria into Niger...
First group of vulnerable refugees evacuated from Libya to Rwanda
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. A group of 66 vulnerable refugees was evacuated from Libya to Rwanda last night on a...
For refugees trapped in Libya, a flight out of danger
Evacuation flight takes 66 vulnerable refugees to Rwanda, where they receive shelter, medical checks and options for a safe future. By Charlie Yaxley in Kigali, Rwanda At Kigali airport, on a balmy Thursday night, a young Somali woman cradles her two-month-old baby....
Ensuring the rights of nomadic seafarers
A UNHCR-supported documentation programme seeks to assure indigenous Sama Bajau people can access education, health care and housing in the Philippines. By Caroline Gluck in Zamboanga, Philippines As a young girl, Wanita Arajani lived the traditional life of her...
Ground-breaking programme reunites families, reignites hope
UNHCR’s ‘holistic’ integration project helps refugees find jobs, education, homes and help towards naturalization. By Jenny Barchfield in Saltillo, Mexico After his mother fled El Salvador following a barrage of death threats, her son – little Samuel* – was also...
As drought compounds security woes, Somalis flee to Ethiopia
Crop failures, livestock die-offs, and Al-Shabab extortion demands are driving thousands of farmers and pastoralists to abandon their lands and seek refuge. By Katie Nguyen in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia When drought killed most of Barwako Noor Abdi’s cows and goats eight...
Eight refugees fighting for the planet
Far from home these refugees are still doing their part to combat climate change “Our house is on fire — let’s act like it.” This is the picture youth activist Greta Thunberg paints on the global climate crisis, which may well be the defining fight of our lifetime. It...