More than 100 million people are currently displaced worldwide (UNHCR, 2024).
Conflicts faced by communities such as Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territory—where we operate—mean this number will only continue to rise.
With 97% of Relief International staff and volunteers being local nationals, our work is often rooted in shared realities, meaning the work we do to help communities comes from a place of experience and compassion.
During Refugee Week 2024, we are spotlighting members of our team who have experienced displacement and resettlement. They are sharing the realities of displacement, highlighting the challenges they’ve overcome and the milestones they’ve achieved, and above all, how they remarkably channel these experiences to support the communities we serve at Relief International.
Each experience tells a story. By listening to and understanding refugee stories in their own voices, we can cultivate empathy, foster understanding, and inspire action to support refugees worldwide.
#SeeMeRefugee
"We are humans with dreams, wishes and emotions."
“Our lives have been uprooted, forcing us to leave behind everything we knew and loved.
It is unimaginably hard but with the support and compassion of the global community, there is hope.
We hold on to this hope of a better future, not just for ourselves, but for our children.”
Shafiqa, Community Health Worker in Pakistan
“Everyone around us was living below the poverty line."
“When I visited a nearby district town, I saw children playing with toys, and dressing well, and all I could think was ‘I wish I was born here.’
I remember my first day seeing a live television football match, it amazed me to know there are developed places in the world — and how vastly different those developed places were from my own reality.
Now, I pour those experiences into my own work, supporting to save lives the same way I was saved as a refugee.
Wani, HR Systems and Compliance Officer in South Sudan.
"The experience of being a refugee has reshaped my ambitions."
“My childhood was full of surprises, many of which were not good, but there was always hope.
I would tell my younger self that one day my experiences will make me who I am today—able to relate to and support the young people I teach.
And that gradually, life will bring you what you need, through your own strength and with the right support.”
Waheed, ALP Teacher in Pakistan.
Support Refugees All Over the World
We work alongside people on the move to find safety on their journeys and upon their arrival in a new place, providing critical services where they are most needed.
You can help us do it