Refugee Relief Guide: How to Help Refugees In 2024

Nearly 50 million children have fled their homes and traveled dangerously due to poverty, natural catastrophes, and war. Millions of students are absent and unsure when they'll return.

UNICEF prioritizes rescuing and protecting migrant, refugee, and internally displaced children. It also works with local governments and other organisations to provide safe drinking water, nutritional food, medical care, long-term health care, education, and other necessities for all children to help refugees.

A look at UNICEF's work with refugees

• Syrian refugees: With almost 5.6 million refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, including 2.5 million children, the 2011 Syrian refugee crisis is the world's most enormous displacement tragedy. UNICEF provides health, nutrition, and education to Syrian refugees in all five countries. The organisation also strives to fortify local support networks and lessen the economic toll in flood-prone places. A sizable humanitarian mission from UNICEF is currently underway inside Syria to assist displaced children who are still fighting for their lives to be safe and healthy to help refugees.

• Rohingya refugees: UNICEF has been actively deployed in the Rohingya refugee crisis since August 2017, collaborating with local partners in refugee settlements in Bangladesh to provide essential supplies such as medicine and clean water, enhance sanitation, and establish safe spaces for children to play and study. As of February 2019, 155,000 kids between the ages of 4 and 14 were taking advantage of educational programs funded by UNICEF. One of the poorest regions in Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar, is home to a host community whose children receive educational assistance from UNICEF to help refugees.

• South Sudanese refugees: More than 4 million people, including 2.4 million children, have been displaced from South Sudan due to years of violence, starvation, and poverty. Hundreds of thousands of these kids residing in camps both inside and outside the nation are receiving aid from UNICEF. Children at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya get early childhood education, counselling, nutrition, immunisations, clean water, and sanitation services from UNICEF. Similar programs are running at the Bidi Bidi settlement in the West Nile area of Uganda, which has partnered with Lego to create a creative learning programme for preschoolers.

Donors and other supporters are crucial in helping UNICEF fund programmes like these that benefit refugee children worldwide. But there are more ways that backers can help.

Suggestions for Helping Refugees

Volunteer

The United Nations Volunteer (UNV) programme is the application process for field volunteers with UNICEF. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities in your area, you can contact the UNICEF Unite network or establish or join an existing UNICEF Club to help refugees.

  Make Your Voice Heard

Contact your officials in Congress by calling or writing to urge them to support legislation that will safeguard the rights of children worldwide, especially those who are migrants or refugees. Join the ranks of other American activists fighting for the rights of children all around the globe by becoming a "UNICEF Uniter" and adding your voice to the chorus of voices fighting for change at home and abroad. Go here to learn more about what you can do to support UNICEF locally.

 Donate

Contributions keep UNICEF's programmes running and allow the organisation to respond quickly to new needs. Contributing every month ensures that funding continues to flow.

 Many UNICEF supporters have started online or social media fundraisers to financially support the organization's critical mission. An excellent starting point would be the UNICEF USA Facebook page. Disregarding Facebook? You can also look at alternative peer-to-peer fundraising systems. To get started raising money for needy kids, check out the UNICEF USA Crowdrise page for inspiration.

Health care

Children and their families who have fled persecution as a result of war can receive life saving medical treatment thanks to donations made possible by UNICEF and its partners. Find out more about UNICEF's emergency health strategy priorities to help refugees.

Legal

The International Refugee Assistance Project, similar to UNICEF, provides pro bono direct legal counsel, advocacy, and litigation to aid displaced persons and refugees in finding safe-havens. The IRAP depends on donations to help those in need.

Conclusion

The Humanitarian Project empowers refugee women via comprehensive resettlement and community aid, building resilience, self-sufficiency, and belonging. We aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for women who have fled persecution to rebuild their lives, reclaim their power, and improve their communities to help refugees.