Basque community opens its doors to welcome family from Syria
Spanish volunteers help a grieving refugee family start life anew in the Basque region. By Zahra Mackaoui in Bilbao, Spain When Begoña Herrero volunteered to help a refugee family settle in her hometown in northern Spain, she did not expect it would also change her...
Thousands of Central African refugees to return home from DRC
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, on Thursday (November 21) helped hundreds of refugees...
Winter preparations for Syrian refugees and displaced in full swing
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, estimates that some 3.8 million Syrian and Iraqi...
Insecurity hinders access to displaced in north-eastern Burkina Faso
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, and our partners are facing severe challenges in...
Celebrating Canada History Week, with a look to the past
Edited by Anaheh Ghookassian Khoygani, Ottawa, Canada To celebrate Canada History Week, from 18 – 24 of November, UNHCR is bringing you four inspiring refugee stories of people who came to Canada before the year 1950, when UNHCR was created. This year’s theme,...
‘This is Moises, live from Boa Vista’
Rarely seen without his toy camera and mic – tools of the trade he hopes to enter – 10-year-old Moisés interviews his fellow Venezuelans about their journeys to Brazil. By Roger Burks in Boa Vista, Brazil As far as TV equipment is concerned, Moisés’ homemade video...
Statement on new U.S. asylum policy
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has serious concerns about the new U.S. policy on asylum published Tuesday, 19 November. It is an approach at variance with international law that could result in the transfer of highly vulnerable individuals to countries where they may...
Bringing toilets into the home boosts refugees’ health and security
Burundian refugees in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo receive cash to construct houses and toilets, improving access to better sanitation. By Sanne Biesmans Aisha and her husband Matias lean against the mud-brick wall of the house they built themselves in...