Franck Ndohessengar (37) is a UN Volunteer Technical Associate and Project Management Engineer, based in eastern Chad. His mission is a direct response to the ongoing war in Sudan, which has resulted in a large influx of refugees.

Aliya Mohamed Kosar, Refugee UN Volunteer Youth Community Service Assistant with UNHCR  Aliya is dedicated to empowering vulnerable individuals and communities, with a focus on addressing the unique challenges faced by youth. Born in Somalia, her first-hand understanding of marginalized communities fuels her commitment to supporting those at risk in improving their lives.

In 2018, we launched the Refugee UN Volunteer special initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, engaging refugees and asylum seekers in UNV assignments in their host countries. 

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), one in every 78 people on earth is now displaced.

Following the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees by the UN General Assembly in 2018, and in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNV launched a special initiative to facilitate the deployment of people of concern with UNHCR as Refugee UN Volunteers. This enables them to engage in an income generating opportunity which also assists them in building on their competencies and skills.

The deployment of these health professionals marked a major step forward in creating additional livelihood opportunities for refugees in Jordan and followed months of discussions between Jordan’s Ministry of Health and UNHCR about how refugees can contribute to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a great opportunity and at the same time an important responsibility for refugees, who have been eager to directly contribute to the national COVID-19 response. --Dominik Bartsch, UNHCR Representative in Jordan

Together we heal: We heal together when we all get the care we need Adow Mohamed Ibrahim is a Somali Refugee UN Volunteer for Youth Activities. Since October 2020, he has been serving with UNHCR in Dadaab in youth programmes. 

In the collective imagination, 'refugee' refers to a person living in a white tent, or who is homeless, very vulnerable and inspires pity and compassion. We challenge you to a mindshift, as we share the story of two refugees who dismantled this perception. Mikaelou Demba Dia (33) and Ibrahima Watt (36) arrived from Mauritania in Senegal in 1989 due to the Senegalese-Mauritanian conflict. They are among 20 refugees awarded an Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) scholarship to pursue studies in Law and Human Resources, respectively.

As the pandemic continued to spread, UN Volunteers across the world stepped forward. They ensured marginalized and disadvantaged communities, including people with disabilities, indigenous communities, refugees and people on the move are included in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

Education is one of six themes at the centre of the GRF, critical to the support of refugees and the countries that host them. The Spotlight Session focused on tertiary education for refugees, through a conversation about how barriers are being overcome, how interventions are improving the quality or expanding the quantity of opportunities available, and ultimately, how higher education pathways can support self-reliance and solutions for refugees.