UNHCR Kenya Welcomes Announcement of Refugee Olympic Team
The participation of refugees in Olympic games is a huge milestone. We are thankful to the International Olympics Committee for this consideration. The Tegla Loroupe Foundation in Kenya has been a great partner in preparing athletes from refugee camps for Rio.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Kenya, warmly welcomes today’s announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the refugees who will compete as a team in the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The team of ten includes five runners from refugee camps in Kenya. Others include two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a runner from Ethiopia. They all fled violence and persecution in their countries.
The initiative to send a refugee team to the Rio Games is unprecedented and sends a strong message of support and hope for refugees worldwide. It also comes at a time when more people than ever are being forced by conflict and persecution into fleeing their homes. The global population of refugees, internally displaced people and asylum seekers reached a record 59.5 million at the end of 2014 and has continued rising since. By end of April 2016, Kenya had a refugee population of 598,646, living in Kakuma and Dadaab camps as well as in urban areas.
“The participation of refugees in Olympic games is a huge milestone. We are thankful to the International Olympics Committee for this consideration. The Tegla Loroupe Foundation in Kenya has been a great partner in preparing athletes from refugee camps for Rio,” said Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Representative in Kenya.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that the participation of this team in the Olympics is a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees in overcoming adversity and building a better future for themselves and their families.
The participation of a refugee team in the Olympics represents a major milestone in UNHCR’s long-standing partnership with the IOC. This relationship, which dates back 20 years, has been instrumental in promoting the role of sports in the development and well-being of refugees, particularly children, all over the world. We have, through our joint projects, supported youth programmes and sporting activities in at least 20 countries, rehabilitated sporting fields in several refugee camps, and provided sports kits to refugee youth.
The announcement of the refugee team coincides with the launch of UNHCR’s #WithRefugees Campaign which is an integral element of the UNHCR – IOC partnership for the 2016 Rio Games. The cornerstone of the #WithRefugees Campaign is a petition asking governments to ensure that every refugee child gets an education, that every refugee family has somewhere safe to live, and that every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community. The petition will be handed in before the UN High Level meeting on Refugees and Migrants, scheduled for the 19th September in New York.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The refugee team members as announced by the IOC are:
Paulo Amotun Lokoro, South Sudan, athletics
Yiech Pur Biel, South Sudan, athletics
James Nyang Chiengjiek, South Sudan, athletics
Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, South Sudan, athletics
Rose Nathike Lokonyen, South Sudan, athletics
Rami Anis, Syria, swimming
Yusra Mardini, Syria, swimming
Yonas Kinde, Ethiopia, athletics
Popole Misenga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, judo
Yolande Bukasa Mabika, Democratic Republic of the Congo, judo
