The refugee weightlifter giving back as mental health nurse
Having found help during tough times after arriving in the UK, Cyrille Tchatchet was inspired to study nursing alongside training to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games. By Malcolm Foster in Tokyo, Japan From battling depression and homelessness to helping carry the...
UNHCR warns of critical protection gaps for people on the move in the Sahel and East Africa
Today, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warns of life-threatening gaps in assistance to victims of trafficking and other vulnerable people in need of protection, along different routes within the Sahel and East Africa. It is...
Stand up for the Refugee Convention or millions will pay the price
To mark the 70th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR’s Grandi calls on states to renew their commitment to its life-saving principles. By Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees The 1951 Refugee Convention, the bedrock of international...
News comment: Death of former High Commissioner Jean-Pierre Hocké
Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Jean-Pierre Hocké, who led the UN Refugee Agency from 1986 to 1989, passed away on Monday in Lausanne, Switzerland. Prior to becoming UNHCR’s sixth High Commissioner in 1986, Mr. Hocké, a Swiss national, served as Director of...
Barbara Hendricks reflects on half a lifetime helping refugees
On the 70th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, celebrated performer and Honorary Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador looks back at her 35-year role with the UN Refugee Agency. By UNHCR Staff UNHCR’s longest-serving Goodwill Ambassador – world-renowned classical...
Deadly floods and landslides hit Rohingya camps in Bangladesh
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of six Rohingya refugees as three days of heavy monsoon rains and strong winds pelted massive refugee sites in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, causing flash floods and landslides. According to...
The 1951 Refugee Convention: 70 years of life-saving protection
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a key international treaty establishing the rights of people forced to flee. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says that recommitting to its spirit and fundamental principles is more urgent today than ever....
Eritrean refugees in Tigray caught up in conflict
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. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is extremely worried about the fate of thousands of...