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The Human Story
Behind the Statistics
Behind all the statements and statistics about refugees, asylum seekers, the internally displaced and the stateless are real people with harrowing tales of suffering and loss, as well as hope and ambition. UNHCR believes we must provide a platform for their voices and - when it does not risk their safety - to give a face to the millions of people of concern. Our staff around the world gather these human stories every day so that people living in peace and comfort can understand why the forcibly displaced and stateless need compassion and care. The best way to understand the suffering of others is to hear their stories of hardship, courage, struggle and perseverance.
Telling the Human Story
A young Somali's long journey to safety in South Africa
When Adam Osman Abdile was told to join a Somali militia or die, he decided to flee overseas. The long journey nearly killed him before he reached South Africa.
A grandma's flight from the hell that is Mogadishu
Aisho fled with her 10 children from Mogadishu just a few months ago. She is now struggling to survive in a squalid settlement in northern Somalia.
Pakistan: "Ramadan's spirit is sharing"
Millions of flood survivors struggle to celebrate Ramadan despite having lost everything in the flood. Some relief packages are getting through.
Flooding victims displaced for second time
Among more than 1.5 million people displaced by the flooding in Pakistan, are tens of thousands who had already lost their homes once before.
The Nansen prize: Documenting the Displaced - Salima's story
Nansen Award recipient, photojournalist Alixander Fazzina, recounts the story of a Somali woman she met while chronicling the flight of refugees across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen at the mercy of often ruthless smugglers.