Gender-based violence | UNHCR
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious violation of human rights and a life-threatening health and protection issue. When people flee their homes, they are often at greater risk of physical, sexual and psychological violence, such as rape, sexual …
The 1951 Refugee Convention | UNHCR
Refugees are in extremely vulnerable circumstances, lacking the protection of their own countries and facing immense challenges to their safety and well-being. The 1951 Refugee Convention, supplemented by its 1967 Protocol, help protect them. They are the cornerstone of refugee protection and the ...
Defining sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment
Sexual abuse means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. Any sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 18 years) constitutes sexual abuse. Sexual exploitation means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or …
Figures at a glance - UNHCR
How many refugees are there around the world? As of the end of June 2024, there are an estimated 122.6 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes. Among them are nearly 43.7 million refugees.. There are also 4.4 million stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and lack access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of ...
UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency
Winter is here. Rain, flooding, snow and sub-zero temperatures are threatening the lives of people forced to spend winter far from home. In Lebanon, entire neighbourhoods have been flattened by airstrikes and families are sleeping on the ground, without as much as a blanket.In Afghanistan, people are having to choose between heating and eating, despite temperatures dropping well …
Refugees | UNHCR
Refugee definitions and meaning. Who is a refugee is defined in international law. The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as a person who "owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of [their] nationality and is …
U.S. Resettlement Partners | UNHCR US
Resettlement is a coordinated activity undertaken in partnership with UNHCR, U.S. government agencies, NGOs and other actors. It includes a variety of specific actions, from the identification of refugees in need of resettlement in the field to screening, processing and reception and integration of the refugees in the United States.
Global Trends - UNHCR
New forced displacements in 2023. New and ongoing conflicts have driven forced displacement across the globe. Conflict in Sudan broke out in April 2023, causing one of the largest humanitarian and displacement crises in the world.More than 6 million people were displaced within the country, with a further 1.2 million fleeing to neighbouring countries.
Resettlement in the United States | UNHCR US
Resettlement is a life-saving solution for the most vulnerable refugees in the world. Refugees who are resettled go to another country that has agreed to admit them and ultimately grant them permanent residence. It is also an important way to share …
Stateless people - UNHCR
Millions of people around the world are denied the right to a nationality, leaving them stateless. As a result, they may be unable to access other basic rights and services, such as being able to go to school, work legally, access health care or get married. They are also often at a higher risk of ...