Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
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.”
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 refugeesLink is external 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 appealLink is external, emphasizing the vulnerability of refugees and how many lack access to basics like soap and water, his support of #StepWithRefugeesLink is external, and of #WithRefugeesLink is external.
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.
