Uplifting displaced and vulnerable communities in Madagascar
South-East Madagascar has been hit by devastating cyclones which leave people displaced and vulnerable in their aftermath. Seshiru Muraki has been part of the response to these emergencies. She serves as an international UN Volunteer Project Support Assistant with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Seshiru shares her story.
Raised by Japanese parents in a foreign land, my upbringing instilled in me a deep curiosity for diverse cultures and a desire to work for the United Nations. During my gap year, I took the opportunity to serve as a UN Volunteer with IOM in Madagascar.
Securing protection and humanitarian assistance for refugees and displaced persons
During the times of forced displacement, UN Volunteers stand out as a beacon of hope and resilience. Meet Marie Paule Owimpundu and Alexandre Hakizimana, national UN Volunteers with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Burundi, who are providing protection and humanitarian assistance to those displaced from their homes. Through their efforts, the UN Volunteers have served 38,727 individuals in all the camps from January to May, with 368 resettled to third countries this year. They share their journey of compassion and transformation in the face of immense challenges.
Marie Paule Owimpundu, UN Volunteer Associate Resettlement Officer with UNHCR
Inspiring hope and building resilience among young Rohingya refugees
Almost one million Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – the largest refugee camp in the world. Most arrived in 2017, fleeing persecution, widespread violence and human rights violations in Myanmar. To support the resilience of the camp’s large youth population, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) funds life skills education, including to support, protect and empower adolescent girls and to initiate discussions on gender equality and violence among both young boys and girls. UN Volunteers like Urmi Tanchangya helps to bring hope and resilience to these refugees.
Urmi Tanchangya is a national UN Volunteer Programme Assistant with UNFPA's Adolescents and Youth Unit. Her assignment contributes to UNFPA’s Humanitarian Forcibly Displaced Persons Response Project in Cox’s Bazar. She supports programme management, administration and monitoring and evaluation.
Bringing hope to Myanmar migrants and refugees fleeing adversity
The border between Myanmar and Thailand is characterized by intricate mobility dynamics. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working to understand and address the complexities of this situation. From January to May 2023, the IOM data collection team conducted interviews with over 2,600 individuals from Myanmar as they entered Thailand. For this work, IOM has enlisted the support of seven UN Community Volunteers.
The migration corridor between Myanmar and Thailand is one of the top 20 in size globally and the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. An estimated 10,000 individuals enter Thailand monthly through just two of 10 observed border provinces. Of these, 15 per cent cite the quest for safety as a reason for leaving home.