News comment: UNHCR urges action as famine is declared in Sudan
This statement is attributed to Mamadou Dian Balde, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Sudan situation and UNHCR’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region The warning signs were there for months. Now we have the tragic confirmation...
Refugees discover benefits of insect farming in Zimbabwe
Refugees at Tongogara settlement have learned how to breed black soldier flies for a greener animal feed and fertilizer that is helping them earn an income By Hélène Caux in Tongogara refugee settlement, Zimbabwe When Francine Mashimango fled violence in the...
Largest-ever Refugee Olympic Team makes its entrance as Paris Games open
Members of the 37-strong team have overcome extraordinary odds to reach the globe’s highest sporting stage and carry the hopes of some 120 million displaced people worldwide By UNHCR staff Journeying down the Seine through the historic heart of a rainy Paris, cheered...
At Paris Olympics opening, UNHCR’s Grandi hails refugee athletes as a beacon of hope and peace
PARIS – At the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, urged the world to follow the example of the refugee teams that are competing, as they promote peaceful co-existence and mutual respect. UNHCR, the UN...
UN Refugee Agency marks 73 years of the Refugee Convention, urging universal accession
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This Sunday, 28 July, marks the 73rd anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the...
A refugee Olympian from South Sudan shows the true meaning of sport
As a young boy, Yiech Pur Biel was forced to flee his home in South Sudan before going on to compete in the first Refugee Olympic Team, and now uses his experiences to offer hope to others By Pur Biel, athlete, Olympian and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador The first time I...
Young refugee athlete defies odds to compete in Paris Olympics
Perina is one of the youngest athletes and the only athlete based in Africa on the 37-strong IOC Refugee Olympic Team competing in Paris Laughter and giggles reverberated through the chilly air at Eldoret Sports Club in Kenya’s Rift Valley region as Perina Nakang and...
Olympic Laurel for United Nations High Commissioner Filippo Grandi
Sharing on behalf of the International Olympic Committee The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, will become the third recipient of the Olympic Laurel. This was announced today by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach...