![Day 6: Syrian chef, Galal (centre), prepares the evening iftar meal during Ramadan at the busy Bab Elhara Restaurant in Cairo. "I've worked in several restaurants in Syria and Saudi Arabia and I love cooking," he reveals, adding that his father cooked for an ambassador in Syria and taught 35-year-old Galal how to cook. "The first dish he taught me to cook is kibbeh [a Levantine dish made from bulgar, minced onions and ground meat], which is important not only during Ramadan - it's the jewel of any dinner." But Galal lost his job a year ago when things got worse in Damascus and restaurants began shutting down. He fled to Egypt a month ago with his wife and two children. The thing he misses most about Ramadan in Syria is getting together with his whole family. "I was away from Syria for eight years of my own free will in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but now I'm away forcibly. As soon as things calm down, I will go back home."](/20170106135454im_/http://www.unhcr.org/thumb1/51e663ab6.jpg)
© UNHCR/S.Baldwin
After fleeing war or persecution, the opportunity to work and earn a living is one of the most effective ways people can rebuild their lives in dignity and peace.
We work to promote the right to work, the right to skills development and innovative ways of supporting economic self-reliance among those forced to flee their homes.
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Our work in this area is guided by several core principles – including protection, diversity, equity, access and sustainability – outlined in UNHCR's Global Strategy for Livelihoods (2014-2018).
We seek to ensure that all people of concern are able to make a safe and sustainable living that meets their basic needs, contributes to their dignity and provides for the full enjoyment of human rights.