Refugee Facts and Statistics

What is a Refugee?

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political opinion.

Refugee Statistics

More than 120 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict or violence. This is a record level of displacement.

What is a Refugee Camp?

A refugee camp is often the first arrangement set during emergencies to assist people who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict or persecution.

Refugees in America

USA for UNHCR is leading a movement to build awareness by supporting resettled refugees in the U.S. and promoting acceptance and understanding.

World Refugee Day

On World Refugee Day, held every year on June 20th, we commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees.

Faces of Refugees

Faces of crisis - homes, villages, and even countries lost.
Their harrowing stories are of feat and flight... and courage.

Siham, age 10, fled Dar’a, Syria with her parents and six siblings. She now lives in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, where she is excited to be attending school once again.

Rohingya mother Hamida, age 25, was nine months pregnant when she escaped an attack on her village in Myanmar with her young son.

8-year-old Saron is a refugee from Yei, South Sudan. She currently attends the Ofonze Primary School in Bidibidi refugee settlement in northern Uganda.

Rashid Ahbedi, age 85, was once a stateless man in Burundi. He came to Kenya in 1941 to work and ended up meeting his wife, Umazi. They have lived together in Kenya ever since.

Elsa and her one-year-old daughter Hilary escaped gang violence in Honduras. They have taken refuge in Tabasco, where they wait to hear if they will be granted asylum.

Nur Fatima is an 11-year-old Rohingya refugee. She attends school in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. She loves learning and helping her siblings with their studies.

Brother and sister Hussein and Nazilla live in a refugee camp in Vinjug. They were forced to flee their home in Baghlan, Afghanistan after violence overtook the city.

8-year-old Ahmed is a refugee from Syria, temporarily living on the Greek island of Samos. Despite poor living conditions on the island, it is still safer than returning home.

South Sudanese twins, Jacob and Simon, walked for 21 days to escape the violence in South Sudan. They now live as orphans in Kakuma refugee camp.