Alan Cumming

Lebanon. UNHCR High Profile Supporter Alan Cumming meets Syrian refugee Mzyed Haj Khalaf and his family at Rass Maska informal settlement

UNHCR Supporter Alan Cumming visits refugees in Lebanon

“Practically everyone I met didn’t come straight to Lebanon. They were moved around and they tried to find safety in their own country, sometimes six or seven times, before they realized ‘OK, this is it – we’ve got to get out of here’. So I think it was interesting to be reminded that being displaced – becoming a refugee – is a last resort for people.”

Alan Cumming

About Alan

Scottish actor and writer Alan Cumming has been a supporter of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, since 2016. That year, he travelled to Lebanon where he met Syrian refugees living in informal settlements and unfinished buildings, and visited one of the largest hospitals in the country where refugees receive critical life-saving support with the help of UNHCR. He also met LGBTQI refugees who had fled horrific persecution and violence in Syria and Iraq, and, in 2019, he had the great opportunity to reconnect with one of these refugees who had been resettled to Amsterdam.

Since this trip, Alan faithfully lends his passionate voice and platform to shed light on the global refugee crisis via media, social media, fundraising and campaign support. A few highlights include his participation in UNHCR’s COVID-19 appeal, emphasizing the vulnerability of refugees and how many lack access to basics like soap and water, his support of #StepWithRefugees, and of #WithRefugees.

In photos: Alan Cumming visits refugees in Lebanon

In September 2016 Alan Cumming visited Lebanon with UNHCR to learn more about UNHCR's vital frontline work and the experiences of Syrian refugees.

Alan visits a mobile library at Rass Maska informal settlement. During the summer, UNHCR provides the library as part of a community outreach initiative to encourage children's interest in education.

Alan meets three Syrian refugee families living together in substandard shelter in Beissarieh in southern Lebanon.

Alan is shown round Rass Maska informal settlement by a UNHCR staff member

Alan meets a youth group in Northern Lebanon. UNHCR partners bring together Syrian and Lebanese youth groups, with the aim to enhance interaction between the refugee and Lebanese communities and foster social cohesion through outreach and capacity building activities.