Annual Christmas fund-raising campaign launched by UN refugee agency
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it hopes this year’s Star Appeal can surpass the record total of $560,000 that was raised last year. Members of the public can donate to the appeal through a special link on the agency’s website.
Nick Van Praag, the head of UNHCR’s Department of External Relations, said “our goal is to strike when the iron is hot – and there is no better time to fund-raise than during the holiday season.”
UNHCR is stressing that even small donations can go a long way to bringing relief to children who have been forced to leave their homelands. A donation of $40 buys a survival kit for children who are badly malnourished, while $80 purchases a durable lightweight tent for a family of eight and $210 pays the wages of a teacher for three months.
Last year’s Star Appeal helped young residents of the Nakivale settlement in Uganda, which is home to refugees from several African countries.