Sport at UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, recognizes the power and potential of sport to transform the lives of people forced to flee conflict and persecution.
First and foremost, UNHCR provides life-saving assistance to people forced to flee around the world - but refugees deserve to thrive, not just survive. Sport and games have been found in humanitarian settings for as long as UNHCR has been working with people forced to flee conflict and persecution.
For most of this time sport has been seen as a distraction for young people rather than a positive tool for supporting displaced communities. In recent years the approach to sport has become more strategic, and in 2022 UNHCR released its first-ever sports strategy – More than a Game. It outlines UNHCR’s ambition to expand the use of sport and strengthen engagement with the sport world to benefit displaced and stateless people globally.
Our approach is to work together with the sport world and, together, bring positive change to the lives of refugees and others forced to flee. Grass roots organizations, professional sport clubs, sport businesses, sponsors and individual sport people all have a role to play. They can leverage their influence to promote access to sport facilities, provide quality, safe equipment, organize sport activities, train refugees and host communities, and importantly, use their platforms and influence to advocate for refugee needs, including for their participation in sport at all levels.
Sport is much more than a game or pastime. It’s an opportunity to be included and protected – a chance to heal, develop and grow.
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From fairways to dusty fields, sport is changing lives in Ecuador.
From the highlands of Quito to the sunny coast of Esmeraldas and the streets of Guayaquil, displaced and local children are coming together through sport. With footballs, rugby balls, and even golf clubs at hand, they discover something far greater than sport itself: protection, connection, and hope.
Here, even sports considered less accessible – like rugby and golf – take on a different meaning. Every pass and tackle becomes an exercise of trust and teamwork. On improvised courses, children learn to swing, chip and putt, then burst into laughter as teams cheer each other on.
For UNHCR, any sport is a powerful tool for protection: creating safe spaces where fear fades, confidence grows, and belonging takes root both on and off the field.
Sixteen-year-old Marcela leads by example. “What’s important here is that no one feels left behind, that we’re in this together,” she says. “I’ve learned about our rights, how confident we can be, and to share without being criticised.”
Families feel it too. Watching from the sidelines, Yelitza, a grandmother, smiles: “The dream is to be seen, to be included, to feel capable and important, whether in sport, in school, or in the community.”
Because here, sport is more than a game. It’s a step toward safety, confidence, and a future shaped together.
UNHCR's 'Sport for Protection' approach builds on the unique capacity of sport to actively and meaningfully engage young people. Sport and play can have a pivotal role in creating a fun and safe environment that supports children and youth to learn and grow. It can also provide a space to address the specific risks that displaced children and youth face.
Giving refugees the opportunity to compete in elite sport powerfully demonstrates their potential to excel at the highest levels and the contribution they make to our communities. At Paris 2024, 37 athletes formed the IOC's Refugee Olympic Team, while 8 athletes competed on the Refugee Paralympic Team - the largest such team to date. Looking ahead, the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026 will host the first-ever Youth Refugee Team, continuing to break barriers and inspire global inclusion through sport.
At the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review 2025, partners across the Sport for Refugees Coalition reaffirmed the role of sport as a powerful driver of inclusion, protection, and community connection for refugees and host communities. Building on the commitments made at the Global Refugee Forum in 2023, the coalition has continued to turn pledges into action, expanding access to sport, strengthening safe spaces for participation, and supporting programmes that promote well-being, resilience, and social cohesion.
Through the Multi-stakeholder Pledge: Sport for Inclusion and Protection, more than 150 entities from grassroots clubs and civil society organizations to UN Member States and national and international sporting federations have committed to harnessing the power of sport to improve opportunities for refugees and the communities that welcome them. The pledge continues to inspire concrete collaboration and measurable impact in support of inclusion and protection.
