Syrian refugee in Lebanon decides to head to Turkey to risk flight to Europe.
SHOUEIFAT, Lebanon, July 21 (UNHCR)—In the hall of her bare apartment, five packed suitcases lay neatly on the floor. After four crushing years of living in Lebanon as a refugee, Hanan* had made up her mind. She was going to leave, no matter the cost....
More people flee to Mauritania to escape insecurity in northern Mali
MBERA CAMP, Mauritania, July 20 (UNHCR)—Almost 400 people fleeing a renewed outbreak of fighting in northern Mali have sought refuge in Mauritania over the last few months. Most of the newcomers seeking asylum come from the Nampala area. Since the beginning of the...
UNHCR’s protection chief completes visit to Myanmar with call for more support to Rakhine state
YANGON, Myanmar, July 16 (UNHCR)—A top official of the UN refugee agency responsible for protection has called for more concerted support to resolve the plight of displaced people in Myanmar and those with undetermined citizenship. UNHCR’s Assistant High...
The Canadian Connection
For almost 40 years, UNHCR has played a unique role in Canada. We don’t have tent cities full of refugees in Canada. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever see a UNHCR aid worker distributing food or blankets in Toronto or Ottawa. And never has a Canadian mayor ever...
A Refugee’s Ramadan in War Time
This is the third Ramadan in a foreign country for a Syrian refugee family living on the outskirts of Dohuk in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In the kitchen of a small three room apartment, eggplant and potatoes are being fried for Maqlooba, a layered dish of...
Lending a Hand in Hungary
It is dusk by the time volunteers arrive at a busy square in central Budapest. With them, they carry hot food and fresh water – nothing short of a lifeline for the tired and hungry refugee families who are there to meet them. Little children are at first shy to accept...
Central African Republic urged to allow refugees to vote in landmark poll
GENEVA, July 14 (UNHCR)—The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday (July 14) it was alarmed by a decision of the interim parliament of the Central African Republic (CAR) to exclude refugees who fled to neighbouring states and elsewhere to escape fighting in the country...
Yemen receives over 10,000 new arrivals by sea since start of conflict in March
GENEVA, July 14 (UNHCR)—Thousands of people have been tricked into going to Yemen since the start of the current conflict in March, according to the latest figures made available by the UN refugee agency on Tuesday (July 14). UNHCR Yemen Representative Johannes van...