About World Refugee Day 2008
© UNHCR photo
On June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day. This year, events around the world focus on the fundamental need for protection. For some, this means economic security; for others, protection is freedom from violence and persecution. On World Refugee Day, we turn our attention to the millions of refugees who live without material, social and legal protection.
Since its foundation in 1951, UNHCR has protected tens of millions of refugees. For us, protection consists of tangible improvements in the lives of forcibly displaced people - from the provision of food and shelter to support for those lacking legal status or those wishing to return to their home countries. On World Refugee Day, we commemorate this vital engagement.
Protection is also about raising awareness. We cannot protect refugees if their plight remains invisible. On World Refugee Day, we will highlight the universal nature of protection. Not only are refugees protected all around the globe, but the responsibility for protection is equally global.
Ultimately, protection is a challenge that knows no borders. Neither can it be left to a single agency to provide. On World Refugee Day, we are launching a global call for action. We want to promote engagement at the grassroots level, in local communities, workplaces and online. Only through a global network of supporters can we meet the manifold needs of protection.
How can you help?
Online social utilities provide excellent tools for advocacy. Become a fan on Facebook, support our cause and share our videos, photos and latest news with your friends. You can also find us on MySpace, YouTube and Flickr.
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Message from the United Nations humanitarian, refugee, and development chiefs on the situation in Syria and the region
10 May 2022 Statement by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Achim Steiner -
Religious leaders pledge to work together to end statelessness
10 May 2022 -
Intervention of the High Commissioner at the Brussels VI Conference on Syria
10 May 2022 -
Accessing oversight information - Inspector General's Office
9 May 2022 -
More support needed as Syrian refugees reach breaking point
9 May 2022 With no work and struggling to cope amid Lebanon's economic crisis, a Syrian refugee family are relying on their 10-year-old daughter's meagre income to stay afloat. -
Hopeful Central African refugees return home from DR Congo
6 May 2022 After fleeing violence and spending years living in camps, UNHCR is easing the route home for thousands of refugees from CAR who are choosing to return to safer areas. -
Cloud of uncertainty starts to lift for Ukrainian sisters fleeing war
5 May 2022 Antonina and Natasha arrived in Slovakia without a plan. By evening, with help from UNHCR, they have a place to stay and hope for the future. -
Cloud of uncertainty starts to lift for Ukrainian sisters fleeing war
5 May 2022 -
High Commissioner's Statement at the High-Level International Donors' Conference for Ukraine
5 May 2022