The conflict that began on October 7 has not only displaced Hala, a mother of four and humanitarian worker from Gaza, but has also resulted in over 22,000 casualties, nearly 2 million displacements.
"Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They're cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes."
Karolina Lindholm Billing was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the UNHCR Representative in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need.
In this episode, Karolina reflects on Ukrainian resilience, the drive to rebuild, and why people long to stay in their own homes, even in a war zone.
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e seen so clearly during these last 600 plus days of the war in Ukraine, is how quickly people want to recover鈥o when we can be a little enabler of that recovery, I think that feels meaningful鈥
Photo: 漏UNHCR/Oleksii Barkov
Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett and Ke Huy Quan opened the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva with a performance of JJ Bola鈥檚 stunning poem 鈥淩efuge.鈥
The world鈥檚 largest gathering on refugee issues closed with over 1,600 pledges of action and financial commitments worth an estimated $2.2 billion. Filippo Grandi praised the "determined unity鈥 shown by participants, who 鈥 in the face of global division and crises 鈥 pledged transformative action on behalf of refugees and the countries hosting them. The came as the global refugee population has reached a record level of 36.4 million, with a total population of the forcibly displaced of 114 million people.
Investing in Afghan women and girls鈥 menstrual health, preserves their dignity, whose vulnerabilities are exacerbated by displacement and risks of gender-based violence.
Fighting has resumed in Gaza after a temporary humanitarian truce that allowed desperately needed assistance to reach people displaced by the war. The temporary halt provided some respite for residents who endured constant shelling, repeated displacement and sleepless nights. One of them is Asmaa Marouf. A 缅北禁地Volunteer, Asmaa was working as a geographic information systems specialist with the (UNDP). When the war began, she was forced to flee her home along with her children. Asmaa shares her experience, her fears, her hopes and her belief that the current war is different from the previous escalations she has lived through. Her words underscore the need for a full humanitarian ceasefire.
Abdullahi Mire's foundation has supplied over 100,000 books donated by education charities and former refugees living in the diaspora to support schools in Kenya's Dadaab camp and to establish three public libraries.
Palestine refugees have the same human rights as everyone else. UNRWA contributes to fulfilling these rights, however challenging the circumstances.
Honoring individuals, groups and organizations who excel in protecting refugees, displaced and stateless people is the main mission of the given out by the Established in 1954, the award celebrates the legacy of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat and first High Commissioner for Refugees for the . Since then, more than 60 individuals, groups or organizations have received the prize for their service to refugees. The 2023 Global Laureate is Abdullahi Mire, a journalist and former refugee from Somalia.
Erasmia Roumana鈥檚 job requires extraordinary strength. Working in Greece as a protection associate with UNHCR, the 缅北禁地Refugee Agency, she interviews refugees who have survived devastating shipwrecks at sea after embarking on desperate journeys in search of a better life.
鈥淚 have seen some very horrible situations. And I always wonder at that moment, how can people survive this? How can people move on after this?鈥
One tragic story stood out over the years. In 2014, Syrian refugee Doaa survived three days at sea following a shipwreck which killed 500 people, including her fianc茅. In this episode of Awake at Night, Erasmia Roumana shares the latest fateful twist in Doaa鈥檚 story and reflects on the courage and resilience of the survivors she meets.
The climate crisis and human displacement are increasingly linked. Not only did climate-related disasters cause more than half of all new displacements reported in 2022, but nearly 60 percent of refugees and internally displaced people now live in countries that are among the most vulnerable to climate change. Our understanding of these connections is growing, but the ways in which our rapidly changing climate is forcing people to move and making life harder for those already displaced, are complex and evolving. This situation has led to a proliferation of myths and disinformation. Here are related to the climate crisis and displacement, followed by what the knows.
A funding crunch has sharply curtailed 鈥檚 response to two top hunger crises: Somalia and Haiti. WFP spoke with Hibo Ahmed, who has survived on WFP cash assistance programmes at a dusty camp for internally displaced people, and Herman Petitfrere who, after fleeing gang violence in the neighborhood where he lived, in Haiti鈥檚 capital, Port-au-Prince, now lives in a makeshift shelter built from wood and iron sheeting, located in a camp, where hundreds of other people have also taken refuge. Both are surviving day-to-day in homelands roiled by violence and climate change 鈥 which together help to drive some of the world鈥檚 highest hunger rates.
met with Malak, a Palestinian refugee in Jenin, who shared her memories of her cousin Sadeel. Sadeel was killed following an Israeli Security Forces operation in Jenin camp. Malak wants to become a doctor, be happy and live safely.
While armed conflicts, rising food insecurity, and the climate emergency have pushed displaced people around the world to the brink, refugees are finding ways to contribute to their host communities, as educators, entrepreneurs, advocates, climate activists and health-care workers, among others. During the upcoming , an opportunity to mobilize action for positive change in the lives of refugees will be appreciated as the 17 goals collectively known as the cannot be fully realized without their inclusion. Being a refugee is not a handicap and they are living proof that their power of perseverance is towards a better future no matter the obstacles that stand in their way.