Moving Pictures
To give you a better idea of the daily struggle for survival that refugees face, as well as the kind of work UNHCR does in the field, we send out video crews to document our different operations around the world. Every refugee has a unique story of courage and determination and we hope that, through these videos, their voices can be heard in your homes and their needs better understood.
The videos also illustrate the kind of challenges UNHCR staff face in the field, often working close to the front lines, where refugees need the most protection. Take a look and learn more about refugees and UNHCR's tireless efforts to assist some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
Out in the Cold in Calais
Despite the sub-zero temperatures, migrants and asylum-seekers continue to flock to the northern French port of Calais in a bid to reach the United Kingdom across the English Channel. Some are from conflict zones and UNHCR wants to make sure they have access to asylum procedures.Somalia: Aid Situation
The impact of the persistent conflict in Somalia is spreading. Its effect on the civilian population and the humanitarian aid effort is devastating.
Yemen: Further Displacement
In Yemen the fighting continues in the north. UNHCR reports that the numbers of families fleeing is mounting and camps for the displaced are becoming crowded.Pakistan: Preparing for Winter
Winter is fast approaching in north-west Pakistan. UNHCR is handing out winterization kits to help the more than 100,000 people who live in displaced camps in the North West Frontier Province to cope with the sub-zero temperatures.
Refugees in Republic of Congo
Tens of thousands of people have reportedly fled a wave of ethnic violence in the north-west of the embattled Democratic Republic of the Congo. The civilians have fled from Equateur province, crossing the Ubangi River and seeking shelter in Republic of the Congo.Somalia: The impact of War
In Somalia, more than 1.5 million people are internally displaced. Assisting them is both complicated and dangerous.High Commissioner Guterres visits eastern Congo
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres visits some of the estimated 2.1 million displaced people in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and asks for more international assistance.Somalia: Plight of the Internally Displaced
There are more than 1.5 million internally displaced people in Somalia. The constant violence in the south and centre of the country has made the task of helping them extremely difficult and dangerous.Iraq: Brick by Brick
In Iraq, where more than 2 million people remain displaced, UNHCR has launched a home renovation project to assist returns. Conflict in Yemen
The situation in northern Yemen remains tense and volatile. The UN refugee agency is providing assistance to the thousands who have fled their homes to escape recent fighting between government forces and rebel fighters, but continued insecurity makes access difficult. 2009 Executive Committee Meeting
The combined impact of the economic downturn with the global trends of climate change, urbanization, increased population and food insecurity on human displacement were on the agenda of the annual meeting of UNHCR's governing Executive Committee.2009 Nansen Award winner: Senator Edward Kennedy
In recognition of his achievements as a life-long advocate on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people, the recipient of the 2009 Nansen Refugee Award is the late Senator Edward Kennedy, a champion for those with no voice and no rights.Angelina Jolie visits "dire" refugee settlement on Kenyan border with Somalia
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visits the world's largest refugee camp, overcrowded with 285,000 mostly Somali refugees on the Kenyan border.Ramadan Solidarity Initiative
During the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres reminds us that international refugee law is echoed in Islamic law.
The Ramadan Solidarity Initiative
At the start of the holy month, UNHCR is launching a Ramadan Solidarity Initiative, aimed at raising awareness of the generosity of the Muslim world towards refugees.Georgia: More than Summer Camp
A UNHCR-sponsored camp near the Georgian town of Gori helps youth displaced by last year's war regain self-confidence and independence.Georgia: Hope at last
For more than 16 years those displaced by the Georgia-Abkhaz conflict lived in destitution. Now, for the first time in years, they have real hope for the future.Georgia: One year later
One year after the conflict between Georgia and the Russian Federation, tens of thousands of people are still unable to return to their homes.Angelina Jolie in Iraq
During a day-long visit to Baghdad, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited a makeshift settlement for internally displaced people in the Chikook suburb of north-west Baghdad where she met with four families displaced from the district of Abu Ghraib and from the western suburbs of the Iraqi capital.Pakistan: First Returns
An operation to help some of the more than 2 million conflict-displaced Pakistani civilians return home is under way, with hundreds of residents of Jalozai camp in North West Frontier Province the first to go back. UNHCR is monitoring the government operation to make sure the returns are voluntary.Pakistan: Reluctant to return
Pakistan has announced that the more than 2 million people who had fled recent fighting between government and militants could now return home. Even though most say they want to go back- many still fear a relapse of the violence. UNHCR wants to make sure any return is voluntary.The High Commissioner's 2009 World Refugee Day message
In his special World Refugee Day message, High Commissioner António Guterres warns that in these difficult economic times, "those of us who work with refugees are struggling more than ever to meet even their most basic needs."
UNHCR staff speak about emergency in Pakistan
The current crisis in Pakistan has displaced more than 2 million people and pushed humanitarian workers to the limit. The UNHCR emergency coordinator discusses the challenges.World Refugee Day 2009
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and High Commissioner António Guterres at UNHCR's World Refugee Day event in Washington.Cameroon: A Silent Crisis
In Cameroon, more than 60,000 refugees have fled Central African Republic after systematic attacks by armed gangs. Despite the atrocities, this crisis has gone largely unnoticed by the international community - perhaps because it is overshadowed by the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. UNHCR is trying to address the enormous needs.The Mbororo: A way of life at risk
Systematic attacks on settlements in Central African Republic have forced more than 60,000 people from the Mbororo tribe to flee to neighbouring Cameroon. UNHCR is trying to help these nomadic herdsmen restart their lives.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: An Uncertain Future
While parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still engulfed in conflict, South Kivu province in the east has achieved relative stability. In the late 1990s, hundreds of thousands of Congolese fled to Tanzania. A decade later many are coming home, but to an uncertain futureDemocratic Republic of the Congo: Life in Limbo
In the continuing violence in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women and children are often caught in the crossfire. While the camps for the displaced offer some security for single mothers like Fatuma Kapuweli, she fears for her children's safety and welfare.Chad: Influx from Central African Republic
The conflict in Central African Republic (CAR) receives far less media attention than that in Darfur, but the effects are much the same. More than 17,000 people have crossed into Chad since January, bringing the total number of CAR refugees to almost 70,000.Chad: Environmental Challenges
The search for water and firewood is a daily trial for the 250,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur in eastern Chad. The UN has found ways to alleviate the problems.Pakistan : Swat Valley Emergency
UNHCR has launched an empergency operation to help some 2 million Pakistanis displaced in north-west Swat Valley