United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Canada)

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also known as the UN Refugee Agency, is the world’s leading organization aiding and protecting people forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict and persecution. UNHCR provides shelter, food, water, medical care and other life-saving assistance to refugees around the world.

The dream of most refugees is to return home. When possible, UNHCR helps refugees make this dream a reality. When refugees can’t go back home, we work to find opportunities for them to rebuild their lives in another country. Since its formation by the United Nations General Assembly in 1950, UNHCR has helped millions of refugees restart their lives and has twice received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today, UNHCR’s committed staff of 9,300 work in more than 125 countries—saving and protecting lives, and building a better future for:

19.5 million refugees
38.2 million internally displaced people
1.8 million asylum-seekers.