‘Being a humanitarian is all I know how to do.’
Name: Carmeline Wanjiru. Born in Nairobi, Kenya Job title: External Relations Officer, based in Nairobi. Years at UNHCR: 24 years. Joined UNHCR in 2000 as a community services assistant and went to Somalia in 2017 for two months. Why did you become a...
Young refugee athlete defies odds to compete in Paris Olympic
Perina is one of the youngest athletes and the only athlete based in Africa on the 37-strong IOC Refugee Olympic Team competing in Paris. Laughter and giggles reverberated through the chilly air at Eldoret Sports Club in Kenya’s Rift Valley region as Perina Nakang and...
Kimbo’s Final Drive: Celebrating 32 Years behind the wheel with UNHCR.
Ahmed Abdinoor, lovingly known as ‘Kimbo,’ reminisced about his first day on the job with a warm smile. “They asked if I could drive, and I replied, ‘This truck or an aircraft?’ And just like that, they handed me the keys!” His laughter...
University of Nairobi and UNHCR launch Refugee Resource Centre, to foster research and policy changes on forced displacement
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi, and the Prof. Stephen Kiama Gitahi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, officially inaugurated the Refugee Resource Centre (RRC), a landmark initiative aimed at addressing the...
Maternity ward provides life-line for refugee mothers in Kenya
Funded by the European Union, the maternity wing of Natukobenyo Health Center in the Kalobeyei Settlement is ensuring hundreds of expectant mothers deliver safely. The soft coos and gentle cries of newborn babies emanate from the maternity wing of Natukobenyo Health...
New Danish partnership brings hope for refugees and host communities in Turkana County, Kenya
Today, the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jørgensen and representatives from three major Danish foundations, joined UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Kakuma refugee camp, Turkana County, to launch a new collaboration with the...
Q & A on flooding with William Ejalu, Head of Sub-Office, Dadaab
In March and April this year, Kenya has been battered by stronger-than-usual rains and heavy flooding, caused by the El Niño weather system. For refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp, this has brought misery and upheaval. William Ejalu is the Head of Sub-Office in...
UNHCR lends support to flood-affected people in Nairobi
Nairobi – On Sunday 28 April, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, donated core relief items to support people affected and displaced from their homes following heavy rains and flooding. The country has witnessed persistent rainfall during the months of March and April,...
Congolese refugee turns plastic waste into a profitable business
Raphael Basemi has come a long way since arriving in Kenya’s Kakuma camp in 2009 with just a bag of clothes and his education certificates. The Congolese refugee now runs the largest community-led recycling enterprise in the camp, providing hundreds of jobs for other...