Refugees face long cold and wet night at crowded Balkan border crossings
BERKASOVO, Serbia, Oct 21, (UNHCR)—It is 6 pm, and night is falling fast. Amr and his family huddle under a makeshift shelter, partially lit by a nearby fire, on a small hill near the Serbian-Croatian border. It is windy and cold—the temperature having fallen to...
Number of sea arrivals in Greece hits half million mark
GENEVA, Oct 20 (UNHCR)—Sea arrivals so far this year to Greece have now passed the half-million mark with the arrival yesterday on the Aegean Islands of nearly 8,000 people, the UN refugee agency said today. It added that the latest arrivals had taken the overall...
Protection by Presence
Sometimes the simple act of being there is enough. They call it protection by presence. Arabic speakers, Farsi speakers, wearing the blue colours of UNHCR, offering a moment of reassurance as thousands of refugees make the long, uncertain trek through Europe. Under...
More support needed for Somali refugees going back home from Kenya
GENEVA, Oct 16 (UNHCR)—Nearly 5,000 Somali refugees from Kenya’s Dadaab camps have returned home since December 2014 and a further 4,500 have signed up to go back, the UN refugee agency announced today. UNHCR has helped the returning refugees with transport to...
UNHCR backs increased protection for people fleeing disasters and climate change
GENEVA, Oct 14, (UNHCR)—The UN refugee agency has joined 110 nations in pledging to strengthen steps to protect people displaced across borders by disasters and climate change and launched an overview highlighting its work in the area. Delegates endorsed the...
UNHCR condemns attack on displaced in western Chad, pledges more help
GENEVA, Oct 13 (UNHCR)—The UN refugee agency today strongly condemned two suicide attacks last weekend in western Chad in which a total of 47 people, including many people uprooted as a result of violence in northern Nigeria, were killed and dozens more injured....
A warm Austrian welcome for refugees
There wasn’t much time to think when the first call for help came back in early September. All the Austrians knew was that they had to act fast. Thousands of refugees were crossing the border from Hungary into Austria, many of whom had abandoned their homes in...
Refugees themselves, Iraqis volunteer to help others reach safety in Germany
SALZBURG, Austria, Oct 12 (UNHCR)—Childhood friends Hussein and Jaffa fled war ravaged Iraq together, crossing seven borders and the Aegean Sea to seek refuge in Europe. As they seek asylum in Austria, they decided to help those following in their tracks. Donning...