A record 100 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Learn more about refugees and this global crisis.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political opinion.
READ MORE100 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict or violence. This is a record level of displacement.
Read MoreA refugee camp is often the first arrangement set during emergencies to assist people who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict or persecution.
READ MOREUSA for UNHCR is leading a movement to build awareness by supporting resettled refugees in the U.S. and promoting acceptance and understanding.
READ MOREOn World Refugee Day, held every year on June 20th, we commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees.
READ MOREFaces of crisis - homes, villages, and even countries lost.
Their harrowing stories are of fear and flight... and courage.
Siham, age 10, fled Dar’a, Syria with her parents and six siblings. She now lives in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, where she is excited to be attending school once again.
Siham, age 10, is from Dar'a, Syria. She fled Syria with her parents and six siblings back in 2012 and found refuge in Jordan's Za'atari refugee camp. Back in Dar'a, Siham's school was targeted by armed forces, forcing her and her siblings to drop out. When she moved to Za'atari, she was immediately excited to attend school once again.
Rohingya mother Hamida, age 25, was nine months pregnant when she escaped an attack on her village in Myanmar with her young son.
"I was so scared giving birth, there was no one there to help me. My husband was taken away and I haven't seen him since."
Rohingya mother Hamida, age 25, holds her four-day-old baby boy and two-year-old son at a transit camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh. Hamida went into labor after walking for 10 days straight in an effort to escape her village which was under attack in Myanmar.
8-year-old Saron is a refugee from Yei, South Sudan. She currently attends the Ofonze Primary School in Bidibidi refugee settlement in northern Uganda.
“I like math the most,” says eight-year-old Saron.
Saron is a refugee from Yei, South Sudan. She currently attends the Ofonze Primary School in Bidibidi refugee settlement in northern Uganda, where she studies everything from math to English.
Rashid Ahbedi, age 85, was once a stateless man in Burundi. He came to Kenya in 1941 to work and ended up meeting his wife, Umazi. They have lived together in Kenya ever since.
Rashid Ahbedi, age 85, is a stateless man from Burundi. He first came to Kenya in 1941 to work as a laborer on a Sisal plantation. It is in Kenya that he met his beautiful wife, Umazi Nyamawi, and continues to live to this day.
Elsa and her one-year-old daughter Hilary escaped gang violence in Honduras. They have taken refuge in Tabasco, where they wait to hear if they will be granted asylum.
Elsa and her one-year-old daughter Hilary enjoy a moment of relief after escaping gang violence Honduras.
”We had no choice but to leave. It was hard. We traveled at night carrying the children. Here we are safe but I hope we get asylum so that the children can go to school again and start to learn.”
Nur Fatima is an 11-year-old Rohingya refugee. She attends school in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. She loves learning and helping her siblings with their studies.
Nur Fatima, an 11 year-old Rohingya refugee, attends school in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. She excitedly tells us why school is so important to her. “Now I can read and write, I can help my siblings in their studies.”
Brother and sister Hussein and Nazilla live in a refugee camp in Vinjug. They were forced to flee their home in Baghlan, Afghanistan after violence overtook the city.
Brother and sister Hussein and Nazilla were forced to flee their home in Baghlan, Afghanistan after violence overtook the city. They now live in a refugee camp in Vinjug where, despite the difficulty of life away from home, they always find a way to laugh and play.
Pictured above, Hussein makes his little sister Zilla laugh so hard she can barely eat her bread.
8-year-old Ahmed is a refugee from Syria, temporarily living on the Greek island of Samos. Despite poor living conditions on the island, it is still safer than returning home.
8 year-old Ahmed is a refugee from Syria. He currently lives at an overcrowded reception center on the Greek island of Samos. Even though living conditions on the island have deteriorated due to the influx of new refugees, living here is still safer than returning home. It is Ahmed's only option.
South Sudanese twins, Jacob and Simon, walked for 21 days to escape the violence in South Sudan. They now live as orphans in Kakuma refugee camp.
South Sudanese twins, Jacob and Simon, sit in their shelter in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Back in South Sudan, the boys watched as their father and brother were killed by senseless violence. They leaned on each other for support as they walked for 21 days to reach safety in Kenya.