Sultans of String use music to unite people and raise money for refugees
By Seila Rizvic When Chris McKhool, violinist of the band Sultans of String, was planning his 50th birthday, he decided to use it as an opportunity to help refugees around the world. Along with his bandmates, Kevin Laliberté, Eddie Paton, Drew Birston and Rosendo...
Six people died each day crossing Mediterranean in 2018 – UNHCR report
Refugees and migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea lost their lives at an alarming rate in 2018, as cuts in search and rescue operations reinforced its position as the world’s deadliest sea crossing. The latest ‘Desperate Journeys’ report,...
French village sets an example of how to welcome refugees
For four months, residents and volunteers in Pessat-Villeneuve in central France have been helping 60 evacuees from Africa build new lives. By Céline Schmitt and Joséphine Lebas-Joly in Pessat-Villeneuve, France It is nearly 5 pm on a cold January evening in...
Nomzamo Mbatha becomes UNHCR’s newest Goodwill Ambassador
South African actress joins a global team of Goodwill Ambassadors whose influence, commitment and compassion help amplify refugee voices around the world. By Catherine Wachiaya UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today announced the appointment of South African actress and...
Eritrean minors reunited with mother after eight-year odyssey
Kedija, 15, and Yonas, 12, survived kidnapping, detention, and a failed sea crossing before finally rejoining their mother in Switzerland. By Tarik Argaz in Tripoli, Libya Last March, as they languished in a detention centre in the Libyan city of Misrata, Kedija* and...
Thousands of Nigerian refugees seek safety in Chad
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley– to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. A new upsurge of violence in northeastern Nigeria has forced thousands of people –...
UNHCR appeals for urgent action as new Mediterranean mid-winter deaths reported
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley – 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 watching with increasing alarm the situation on the...
Surging violence in Nigeria drives thousands across borders
Some 15,000 people have been forced to flee into neighbouring Chad and Cameroon as conflict in Nigeria’s restive Borno State escalates. By Simplice Kpandji in Dar es Salaam Camp, Chad, and Xavier Bourgois in Goura, Cameroon Aicha Moussa is lucky to be alive. Three...