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What is UNHCR and what does it do?

At the end of 2007, UNHCR was caring for almost 33 million people, of whom nearly 80% were women and children.

UNHCR not only provides aid to refugees but also to other groups such as internal displaced persons, asylum seekers, the stateless, the repatriated and other needy people. There are more than 40 million rootless people either being cared for by UNHCR or outside its field of action in the world, which is one out of every 156 people on the planet.

Aid for 60 million people

Since it was set up more than half a century ago, UNHCR has provided aid to around 60 million people, which has brought it two Nobel Peace Prizes (in 1954 and 1981) and the Principe de Asturias International Cooperation Prize in 2001.

Refugees are people who are outside their own country due to fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, belonging to a specific social group or for having particular political opinions. Many have fled from war and violations of human rights.

International protection

UNHCR’s biggest responsibility, called “international protection”, consists of ensuring respect for the basic rights of refugees (including the right to seek asylum) and guaranteeing that no-one will be returned against their will to a country in which they fear persecution. The organisation promotes international conventions on refugees, verifies governmental compliance with international law and provides emergency aid and material support to civilians who flee, providing them with food, water, shelter and medical care.

Seeking solutions

Along with governments, NGOs and civil society, UNHCR seeks lasting solutions for refugees in three main areas: voluntary repatriation, which is often the preferred solution for most refugees and host governments, although it is not always possible and in these cases UNHCR helps these people to integrate and rebuild their lives in another place, whether in the country of asylum or in a third country which wishes to accept these rootless people in a process of resettlement.