“I want to inspire refugees”
Olympian and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Yusra Mardini on resiliency, Tokyo 2020, and how the Olympics bring people together By Yusra Mardini, as told to Hannah Scott Syrian refugee and swimmer Yusra Mardini was appointed the youngest ever UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in...
The survivors: Snapshots of desperate journeys out of Libya to safety
In the face of ongoing and intensifying conflict in Libya, UNHCR continues to work with its partners on organizing humanitarian evacuations out of the country. Efforts are being made to identify and prioritize those most in need, often including unaccompanied...
Racing for her future
Eritrean refugee finds a Canadian home through running By Fiona Irvine-Goulet “When I run, I feel free. I forget everything and I concentrate on my run, and it makes me feel good.” Nazret Kobodom, 16, is a rising long-distance running star in Calgary, Alberta, a young...
Climate change and displacement
How the growing global crisis is forcing millions from their homes By Hannah Scott Twenty years ago, Kutubdia in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district was a fertile land where farmers could grow paddy. Now, because of the effects of climate change, the only crop that can...
Cash assistance offers lifeline for Syrian refugee family in Jordan
Mohammad’s family was forced to flee their hometown of Aleppo in Syria when it came under heavy, life-threatening siege in 2012 — but not before a grave injury changed his life forever. Ongoing violence and airstrikes destroyed his neighbourhood — and left Mohammad...
Nine years in crisis
The ongoing humanitarian emergency in Syria As the crisis in Syria enters its ninth year, the need for life-saving essentials in the conflict-ravaged country remains immense — and urgent. An estimated 13.5 million need humanitarian assistance — including 6.6 million...
A Canadian staffer reflects on her time helping displaced Syrians in Iraq
“Every refugee story strikes me on a personal level” By Karen Whiting, as told to Hannah Scott Originally from Ottawa, Karen Whiting is an Assistant Representative for Protection based in Baghdad, Iraq. She is responsible for establishing UNHCR’s protection...
Faces of Syria
Nine years since the start of the conflict in Syria the number of people who have been forcibly displaced continues to increase. 13.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. Behind this number are the stories of individual people whose lives have been...