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.