In 2017, more than 750,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar following violent military crackdowns, joining earlier generations who had sought refuge in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, home to the world’s largest refugee settlement. Nine years later, conflict in Myanmar continues to drive displacement across its borders. In response, the launched its, prioritizing assistance to address urgent humanitarian needs. However, significant funding gaps mean many critical needs are expected to remain unmet, stressing the continued need for international solidarity and support.
Displaced Persons and Refugees
For a few weeks, the world looks in the same direction, shaped by the same matches, the same moments, the same emotions. But beyond the stadiums and the spectacle, football has always existed in its simplest form: a ball, a space, and people willing to play. For refugees, football or soccer - it is a chance to dream again. When you have lost everything, that space matters.
World Refugee Day (20 June) comes at a time when the promise of safety is being tested worldwide. Seventy-five years after the , that promise remains clear: people forced to flee must not be returned to danger and must be able to live in dignity. With more than 117 million people forcibly displaced, the need for protection is urgent. This year’s theme, “Until Everyone Is Safe” calls on governments, donors, communities and individuals to uphold asylum, sustain support and defend the principle that safety must never depend on identity, status or circumstance.
Displaced Somali families in Doolow are building climate-resilient mudbrick shelters, improving safety, dignity, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability.
Fourteen-year-old Maya Sakr sits on a thin mattress in a Beirut school turned shelter, clutching the only thing she carried when bombs fell: a small make-up bag. As her family fled the strikes in the city’s southern suburbs, there was no time for anything else. Now they share a crowded classroom with other displaced families. Her father, weakened by cancer, struggles to access care; her young brother is frightened and confused. At night, echoes of explosions linger. The make-up bag holds more than brushes—it holds Maya’s dream of becoming a make-up artist, and a fragile sense of control in a life overturned by war. Despite it all, Maya says it helps her remember who she is—and who she hopes to become.
In a displacement site in Dédougou, Burkina Faso, families forced to flee violence are transforming small plots of land beside their tents into gardens of resilience with support from OCHA and humanitarian partners.
By growing vegetables they add fresh food to scarce meals, share with neighbors and regain a sense of dignity and purpose. Tending these gardens offers more than nourishment; it brings amid the uncertainty of displacement.
In Sudan, the conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plunged the country into widespread bloodshed and humanitarian catastrophe.
The devastating civil war began in April 2023 and is expanding beyond the western Darfur region into central Kordofan, taking its toll on civilians and particularly the most vulnerable, including children.
Eva Hinds, Spokesperson for the ĢƵ Children's Fund (ĢƵICEF) in Sudan, how the agency is supporting boys and girls amid the brutal conflict and ongoing cuts to aid budgets.
In Renk, South Sudan, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (ĢƵHCR) Goodwill Ambassador Kristin Davis met families who have fled escalating violence, insecurity and human rights violations in Sudan – many for the second or third time. At the Joda border crossing and Renk Transit Centre, she saw ĢƵHCR and partners providing shelter, health care, clean water, sanitation and protection, even as needs far exceed available resources and funding remains critically low. Women and children, who make up about 80 per cent of those fleeing, shared harrowing stories of violence and loss, while support services for survivors are being forced to close. Discover why Davis says this crisis “demands more attention, more resources and more action – now”.
visited to meet returning refugees and displaced families, highlighting both hope for rebuilding after years of conflict and the urgent need for continued humanitarian support, in his role as a .
Filippo Grandi has devoted more than three decades to easing the suffering of refugees: “My pride after all these years is that the center of this effort of my lifetime has been on people, and especially on the people that suffer most in the world, including refugees.”
Now, shortly before his term comes to an end, and as more than 117 million people worldwide remain forcibly displaced, the long-serving ĢƵ High Commissioner for Refugees is welcoming a rare moment of hope for one of the world’s largest refugee populations. “Home means your house, your family, your friends, your work, your school, and it is fantastic when, like in Syria […] people can go back to their homes. This is what most refugees want.”
ĢƵHCR, the ĢƵ Refugee Agency, not only helps those who flee war and persecution, but also those who choose to go home when peace returns. Appearing on Awake at Night for a second time, Filippo Grandi reflects on the dangers of divisive politics, the human cost of painful budget and staff cuts, and shares his hopes and dreams for life after the ĢƵ.
The ĢƵHCR is an annual humanitarian honour presented by the to an individual, group or organization that has gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect and assist refugees, displaced and stateless people around the world. The include heroes from Cameroon, Tajikistan, Iraq, Mexico and Ukraine, whose efforts have transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people through evacuation, integration and sustained support for refugees. Watch the with appearances by the regional winners and performances by award-winning artists.
From today until 17 December, the ĢƵ Refugee Agency () is hosting the in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting brings together senior government officials and key stakeholders to assess progress in implementing pledges made at the and Forums. This high-level event aims to review global, regional, and country-level stocktaking efforts; strengthen support for refugees and host countries, accelerate pledge implementation through a multi-stakeholder approach; and identify priority areas requiring further action ahead of the 2027 Forum.
One month into the ceasefire, Gaza’s displaced families are experiencing brief relief but remain exposed to the cold and devastation as urgent humanitarian access and shelter support are desperately needed.
In Nigeria’s Gbajimba camp, Shiminenge overcomes disability and displacement, leading advocacy that helped transform the site with accessible shelters, sanitation, and mobility support, restoring dignity for many.
After fleeing panic during an earthquake, Nicaraguan migrant Tamara Baltodano found new purpose in Peru, training to save lives and proving that courage knows no borders.