UNHCR mourns the deaths of three colleagues killed in Ethiopian Airlines crash
GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is mourning today the tragic loss of three colleagues killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in Ethiopia yesterday morning (10 March). UNHCR’s own Nadia Ali, Jessica Hyba and Jackson Musoni were among the passengers on board the...
The high price of fighting for women’s rights
Ketty Nivyabandi is longing for her country, but she is determined to continue her fight for women in Burundi – a fight that caused her to lose her homeland. By Gisèle Nyembwe in Ottawa, Canada “It has been close to four years now. My most cherished dream is to...
‘Guardian angel’ offers lifeline to abused refugee women in South Sudan
Volunteers living in Maban County’s refugee camps have opened up their homes to care for women affected by sexual and gender-based violence. Mama Elizabeth, 65, is a Sudanese refugee and one of 48 refugee volunteers, also known as ‘guardian angels,’ who have opened up...
High Commissioner for Refugees visits Syria, assesses humanitarian needs
On his fourth visit to Syria as High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi assessed the massive humanitarian needs facing the population here. After eight years of war, he observed that the magnitude of the humanitarian problem is staggering, exacerbated by the...
Start-up restores hope for displaced Congolese and local communities in DR Congo
A new sense of purpose is rekindled among displaced Congolese and locals, working together to empower themselves and address gender-based violence. By Natalia Micevic in Kitchanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo Elisa’s face lights up as she talks about the small...
UNHCR to speak at Munk School event on displacement in Northern Central America
UNHCR Canada is participating in a panel at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy to discuss forced migration in Central America, the causes of “caravans” and Canada’s response to the regional crisis. The event will be held on Tuesday,...
Lebanon’s ‘Fun Bus’ offers kids a respite from street work
Joint UNHCR and EU scheme offers Syrian refugees and other children a safe space to learn and play, as part of wider push to get kids out of work and into school. By Dalal Mawad in Beirut, Lebanon On a recent afternoon in a drab neighborhood in the west of Lebanon’s...
Yemenis’ battle to survive deepens as conflict grinds on
Nearly four years of war have left 24.1 million children, women and men in urgent need of food, shelter, medical care and schooling. By Bathoul Ahmed in Aden, Yemen When she wakes up in her family’s fragile shack each morning, Hamamah faces the bitter reality of war...