UNHCR says record high 68.5 million people forcibly displaced in 2017
In its annual Global Trends report released on June 19, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency said 68.5 million people were displaced as of the end of 2017. Among them were 16.2 million people who became displaced during 2017 itself, either for the first time or repeatedly,...
UNHCR urges family unity at southern US border
UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency, urges the United States to prioritize family unity and the best interests of children as it implements new border management policies along the US-Mexico border. “There are effective ways to ensure border control without putting families...
Frontline responders from the North of Central America shed light on a silent crisis affecting women and children at Canada’s doorstep
Gang violence and organized crime continue to cause increasing displacement within and outside the North of Central America More and more refugees are fleeing violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – countries collectively known as the North of Central...
Syrian refugee father and family face new struggle for survival
Abdelsalam and his family escaped brutal fighting in Syria — but the struggle for daily survival continues. His eldest child, Abdul Rahman, was an infant when the family fled. He is father to three more children: four-year-old Fatimah, three-year-old Khlaled, and...
UNHCR Canada shows solidarity with LGBTQ refugees
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Canada, is calling for support for LGBTQ refugees forced to flee because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The launch of Pride Month in Toronto marks the kick-off of festivities scheduled throughout this summer...
Honduran refugee risks all riding the “beast” in Mexico
By Francesca Fontanini ACAYUCAN, Mexico – A cab driver in his native Honduras, Armando* had to cross a patchwork of street gang territories each working day, fearing for his life. “Every day it was a challenge to go to work, I did not know if I would return to my...
Somali refugee speaks of importance of giving Sadaqah during Ramadan
By Lauren La Rose In the 26 years since Ali was forced to leave Somalia, his heart and his thoughts have never strayed far from his war-ravaged homeland – especially during Ramadan. Civil war was among the reasons Ali left the eastern Africa nation in September of...
Elderly Somali refugee hopes to end her days with family
Somali refugee Fadumo Nour Zein, 81, sits on a metal bed in a UNHCR centre in western Romania, patting the knee of her 46-year-old daughter Fatima on her left and grandson Ali on her right. After years of uncertainty, she is finally happy. For 20 years Fadouma did not...