A 33-year-old man from Afghanistan, pictured with his family on the Greek island of Lesvos, is hoping to be relocated to Germany.

The virus that shut down the world: The plight of refugees and migrants

29 December 2020

In part four of our review of the global impact of COVID-19, UN News considers the new challenges faced by refugees and migrants during 2020; from a heightened risk of catching the COVID-19 virus in crowded camps, to being stranded due to travel restrictions, and becoming the targets of criminal gangs.

Ethiopian refugees, fleeing clashes in the country's northern Tigray region, cross the border into Hamdayet, Sudan, over the Tekeze river. (file)

News in Brief 22 December 2020

22 December 2020

News in Brief

Tigray: Hundreds of civilians reported killed in artillery strikes
Urgent appeal launched for Tigray emergency
World will soon lose coral reefs without emission cuts, UN report warns

Audio -

3'19"

Gabriela left Venezuela in search of better jobs opportunities. During her journey, she was often attacked and insulted.

IOM/Muse Mohammed

News in Brief 15 December 2020

15 December 2020

News in Brief

Rights chief Bachelet condemns deaths of 255 people in Colombia massacres
Four children among victims of shipwreck carrying Venezuelans to Caribbean
UN refugee agency condemns deadly attack on Niger town

Audio -

3'52"

Refugees cook food and charge mobile phones at a temporary site after a fire destroyed the main camp at Moria, in Lesvos island, Greece.

UNICEF/Enri Canaj Magnum Photos

Put me out of a job: UN refugee chief’s challenge to world leaders

15 December 2020

Migrants and Refugees

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has challenged world leaders to put him “out of a job” by addressing the root causes that drive millions to flee their homes due to war and insecurity.

Audio - 22'13" Playlist

Ak Dans is a South Sudanese stand-up comedian who was born and raised in Kakuma refugee camp.

Evans Dims

Being born a refugee’s no joke, but worse things can happen: AK Dans

14 December 2020

Interviews

Irrepressible comedian AK Dans was born in the world’s largest refugee camp, Kakuma, in Kenya, after his mother fled South Sudan in the 1990s.

He’s now a successful stand-up artist – or was - until the COVID-19 crisis put a temporary halt to his live shows.

But you can’t keep a good man down for long, and now AK’s latest challenge is taking part in an online show with the support of UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Audio -

10'57"

The majority of refugees in Um Raquba are women and children.

News in Brief 9 December 2020

9 December 2020

News in Brief

Ethiopia’s Tigray region still at war, warns UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet
Guterres: Ending corruption vital to world’s recovery after COVID-19
Number of displaced worldwide passes 80 million: UN refugee agency

Audio -

3'24"

17-year-old Agnidrohee Spondon, a grade 10 student, is studying at home during Bangladesh's indefinite national lockdown to suppress the COVID-19 pandemic.

News in Brief 1 December 2020

1 December 2020

News in Brief

UN appeals for $35 billion to help world’s ‘most vulnerable and fragile’
1.3 billion children have no internet access at home
UNHCR appeals to Ethiopia to let it reach hungry Eritrean refugees

Audio -

3'21"

A one-year-old baby suffering from malaria receives a health check at a clinic in northern Uganda.

News in Brief 30 November 2020

30 November 2020

News in Brief

UNHCR appeals for $147 million for up to 100,000 Ethiopians fleeing to Sudan
COVID-19 threatens global progress against malaria, warns UN health agency
UN rights office spotlights killings in Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua

Audio -

3'37"