Tragic image of drowned father and child must propel prevention measures
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply shocked to see the heartbreaking photo of the drowned bodies of Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his 23-month-old daughter Valeria from El Salvador washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande. While the details remain uncertain,...
UNHCR to launch first Global Refugee Forum
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is pleased to announce the first ever Global Refugee Forum, which will take place on 17 and 18 December 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The event, which is being held at Ministerial level, will be co-hosted with Switzerland and co-convened...
Refugees are good for Canada
As we mark World Refugee Day, we recognize the struggles and celebrate the contributions of millions of refugees and the communities that host them. The theme this year is inclusion. This theme could not be timelier. As public headlines and political discourse are...
Amid Record High Global Displacement, UN Refugee Agency Calls for International Solidarity, Welcomes Canadian Generosity towards Refugees
OTTAWA, Canada, June 19 (UNHCR) – Amid a new record high of forced displacement globally, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Canada is calling for renewed international solidarity in finding solutions, and thanking Canadians for...
Worldwide displacement tops 70 million, UN Refugee Chief urges greater solidarity in response
The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million in 2018. This is the highest level that UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency has seen in its almost 70 years. Data from UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report, released today, shows that almost 70.8...
Massive displacement reported in north-eastern DRC amid new violence
Violence in north-eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is reported to have displaced more than 300,000 since early June. The situation in Ituri Province has deteriorated since the middle of last week, with multiple attacks involving the Hema and...
Syrian refugee finds success and a business partner in Amman
With a long history of hosting refugees, Jordan’s capital provided the opportunity Ehab needed to meet his local collaborator Amani and launch their tech start-up. By Charlie Dunmore and Rima Cherri in Amman, Jordan From a young age, Ehab was fascinated by how things...
Victoria city councillor inspired by his refugee past to serve community
Victoria city councillor Sharmarke Dubow wants to make his beautiful coastal city a more liveable place for everyone. It’s no surprise then that he based his 2018 electoral campaign on a vision of a more inclusive and vibrant urban community with a strong focus on...