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...
Flood-hit communities in Afghanistan need urgent humanitarian support
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 supporting humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan after...
In Ukraine, UNHCR’s Grandi urges support ahead of harsh winter challenges
KYIV – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has urged the international community to further scale up vital support ahead of the third winter since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion. Grandi travelled to Ukraine this week for the fifth time...