Prominent supporters

Ger Duany

Goodwill Ambassador for East & Horn of Africa Ger Duany

Sudanese-born actor and model Ger Duany was appointed a UNHCR Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the East and Horn of Africa in June 2015. As one of thousands of former Sudanese ‘lost boys’ and someone who was helped directly by UNHCR, he is well-qualified to raise awareness and understanding about the challenges facing millions of forcibly displaced people around the world.

Born in the town of Akobo in what is now South Sudan, Ger was caught up in Sudan’s north-south civil war. He became separated from his family and was forcefully recruited as a child soldier, like thousands of other boys during the 1983-2005 conflict. At the age of 14, he  managed to escape to neighbouring Ethiopia and was eventually resettled to the United States from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. At the time, he could neither read nor write in English, but ended up completing a college education in his new homeland.

In his role as a Goodwill Ambassador, Ger has elected to focus on youth and education, saying “given a chance, refugee kids excel. They are not powerless, they don’t need pity. They can be citizens of any country, respectfully and constructively contributing to humanity’s goals.”

In 2014, UNHCR helped Ger reunite with his mother and other family members in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. He has written extensively about his childhood and reunion with his family in various blog posts.