USA for UNHCR donors make a lifesaving difference to refugees who’ve lost everything

In the next 60 seconds, 24 people will be forced to flee and leave everything behind — their loved ones, their livelihoods and their possessions. Refugees share a common experience, but each has a unique story to tell.

Refugees who have lost everything need both immediate help to survive and long-term support to return to a normal life. Thankfully, USA for UNHCR donors are compassionate and generous. They save lives, protect rights and build brighter futures for refugees around the world.

Take a moment to meet Sasha, Jacqueline and Lizbeth — just a few of the people who USA for UNHCR donors helped in the past year.

Sasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo



Sasha, 21, fled her home in 2012 after a rebel group attacked her village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once she reached safety at a UNHCR-supported refugee camp in Zimbabwe, this determined young woman taught herself English to be able to resume her studies. Now finishing high school, she dreams of becoming a human rights attorney. With donor support, the UN Refugee Agency covers tuition, teacher salaries and the cost of uniforms and learning materials for students like Sasha.

"I can’t even tell you how badly I want to be the first
person in my family to go to university."

Jacqueline, Burundi



Jacqueline was only 25 when she escaped violence and killings in her native Burundi. At the time, she was pregnant with her second child. Today, she lives with her husband Joseph and their two little boys, Alikeli and Dani, in a UNHCR-supported refugee camp in Tanzania. To stave off the risk of malaria, one of the leading causes of death for children under five in the developing world, UNHCR also gave the family an insecticide-treated mosquito net.

"I use the mosquito net to protect the children
from mosquito bites and malaria."

Lizbeth, South Sudan



Lizbeth, a mother of nine who lives near four refugee camps, used to spend hours each day fetching water in her village in South Sudan. Safe water is as hard to access for local people like her as it is for refugees. That’s why, along with protecting people forced to flee, UNHCR supports host communities.

"Things have changed for the better since UNHCR installed
a hand water pump right next to my house."

Thanks to USA for UNHCR donors, Lizbeth and her family now have plenty of safe water for drinking, cooking and washing, and are protected from deadly diseases like cholera.

Every contribution — large, small and in-between — made by USA for UNHCR’s donors reaches people like Sasha, Jacqueline and Lizbeth. This generosity provides more than life’s necessities like shelter and clean water. It gives refugees the hope they need to dream of a more peaceful future.

Here’s how you can help …

Monthly giving is the most convenient, effective and efficient way you can help people living in and fleeing from conflict. Start making a lifesaving difference today. Become USA for UNHCR’s newest monthly donor.

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