UNHCR – Career Meaning

Somali-born champion of refugee education wins top UNHCR award

Abdullahi Mire grew up in the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex in northeastern Kenya with its population today of more than 240,000 registered refugees, mostly from Somalia. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) coordinates operations there together with partners, relying also on the support of the Kenyan Government and host communities. The majority of the population, around…

Sudan: UNHCR warns Darfur atrocities of 20 years ago may reoccur

More than 800 people have been reportedly killed by armed groups in Ardamata, West Darfur, an area which has so far been less affected by the conflict that erupted in April. Ardamata also housed a camp for internally displaced people, Close to 100 shelters have been razed to the ground, while extensive looting – including…

Sudan war turning ‘homes into cemeteries’: UNHCR

“The war that erupted without warning turned previously peaceful Sudanese homes into cemeteries,” said Dominique Hyde, Director of External Relations at UNHCR. She visited the country last week, and witnessed a surge in human suffering. “Away from the eyes of the world and the news headlines, the conflict in Sudan continues to rage. Across the…

UNHCR: more than 7 million refugee children out of school

“With the displaced population rising every year, there is a significant and increasing proportion of the world’s children who are missing out on their education,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday that by the end of 2022, the total number of school-aged refugees globally jumped…

Niger spiralling into ‘protection crisis’ following takeover: UNHCR

UNHCR’s representative in Niger, Emmanuel Gignac, said that sanctions imposed on the country by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following last month’s military takeover do not include any exemptions for humanitarian aid. Mr. Gignac observed that food and commodity prices, already climbing before this crisis, jumped after sanctions were introduced. If humanitarians…

UNHCR urges solidarity with Burkina Faso’s victims of extremist violence

“We’re urgently appealing for all States to refrain from forcibly returning any individuals originating from the regions in Burkina Faso where there is an ongoing crisis,” said Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR Director of International Protection. Speaking in Geneva, Ms. Tan highlighted “killings, forced disappearances, torture and kidnappings”, while in several instances, civilians had been targeted and…

Urgent support needed for Chad, as arrivals from Sudan top 100,000: UNHCR

The number fleeing violence in Sudan since fighting between rival militaries began in mid-April in Khartoum, quickly destabilizing the entire country, has now topped 100,000. The majority of arrivals in eastern Chad – particularly Ouaddaï, Sila, and Wadi Fira provinces – are from the Darfur region, which has been deeply impacted by violence for decades,…

Keep Sudan borders open UNHCR urges, amid alarming rise in child deaths

Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection said their first request was that countries allow civilians fleeing Sudan on “a non-discriminatory manner to access their territory”. She said this applied to Sudanese nationals, foreign nationals, and refugees who are being hosted in Sudan, “stateless persons, as well as those who do not have a passport…

300,000 flee ongoing violence in DR Congo in February alone: UNHCR

Renewed violent clashes between non-state armed groups and government forces have sparked the latest emergency, with 300,000 people forced to flee their homes in North Kivu Province in February alone. According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, another 20,000 fled at the start of the week and nearly 50,000 became displaced from the Kitchanga region in Masisi territory…

Mali: WHO doctor seized by ‘unidentified assailants’, as UNHCR raises alarm over continuing violence

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet posted on Tuesday that WHO was working with local authorities to investigate the abduction of Dr. Mahamadou Diawara, who had worked for the agency in the town for around three years, “and ensure our colleague’s quick return to his family.” WHO said in a statement that he had…