Why I give
Giving back is a way of life for Vancouver physicians It’s quickly evident that Dr. Claire Weeks and her husband, Dr. Peter Wing, have a strong sense of social responsibility. As long-time monthly donors to UNHCR, they’re grateful for their lives in Canada, honouring...
Born in a refugee camp: Charity’s story
April 18, 10:40 a.m. in the Siripi Health Centre, Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement near Arua, Uganda: At 6.15 a.m., 20-year-old Charity Fikeira gave birth to her first child—a tiny but healthy baby girl. Yesterday, as her contractions increased, Charity walked nearly two...
UNHCR’s Mother and Baby Programs save lives every day
“To see a woman die in childbirth is something you never get used to. These are mostly healthy women and pregnancy is not a disease. In most cases you know that a few simple actions—a few simple items—would have been enough to save the mother and child.” Nadine...
Life, Death and Reproductive Health—Going Beyond Emergency Response
Most people know that UNHCR provides live-saving emergency assistance to refugees and displaced people in the form of clean water and sanitation, as well as shelter materials and other relief items, including blankets, sleeping mats and sometimes food. What many don’t...
Cash transfers—A better way of reaching refugees
Fatima, a Syrian refugee now living in the Jordanian capital of Amman, hasn’t heard from her husband in eight months. He stayed behind in Aleppo, Syria, to look after his elderly parents. She and her seven children live in a single, unheated room with barely enough...
Flat-Pack Shelter
Imagine living in a tent—for years on end. It’s freezing in the winter; broiling in the summer and not always reliable in the rain or during high winds. This is a reality for millions of refugees and an ongoing challenge for UNHCR, tasked with providing shelter for...
The Young Girl and the Sea
They left in darkness. By morning, half of them were lost at sea, one confirmed dead. Like thousands of others before them, this group of some 25 refugees believed the wars ravaging the Middle East posed a greater risk than boarding a small wooden boat at midnight on...
An Education, Multiplied
Aqeela Asifi, a schoolteacher who has helped more than 1,000 refugee girls complete their primary education since she fled Afghanistan two decades ago, was today named the winner of the 2015 Nansen Refugee Award. UNHCR, which presents the award annually, cited her...