Khaled Hosseini
“I hope that the awareness and goodwill of the public towards refugees across the world remains strong, that we remember that refugees need more than just emergency support. They need the hope of a future, as we all do.
I hope we remember that refugees make lasting contributions to their host nations.
Above all, we must remember that, in our increasingly inter-connected world, an investment in their future is an investment in ours too.”
In April 2017 Khaled travelled to Uganda to support UNHCR’s emergency appeal for South Sudan, and to understand more about Uganda’s progressive and pioneering approach to refugee protection. Uganda is currently hosting almost one million South Sudanese refugees. The majority are women and children, including many unaccompanied children. Exhausted, hungry and suffering the trauma of rape and indiscriminate killings.
This emergency is fast becoming one of the largest and most urgent refugee crises in the world. UNHCR is on the ground working non-stop to provide shelter, food, water and medical care. But UNHCR needs help. Take action today by following one of the links below.
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About Khaled
Afghan born American author Khaled Hosseini was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2006 and has demonstrated exceptional commitment to working on behalf of the millions of people around the work forced to flee their homes.
Khaled knows what it’s like to be a refugee. He was a teenager living in Paris, where his father worked as a diplomat, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on Christmas Eve 1979. His family ended up seeking asylum in the United States.
As a Goodwill Ambassador, Khaled has made several visits to see UNHCR's frontline work for refugees travelling to Afghanistan, Chad, Iraq, Jordan and Uganda. After one of his journeys back to Afghanistan, Khaled established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation which partners with UNHCR and raises funds to build homes for thousands of refugee returnees.
Previous support and field visits
Previously Khaled has travelled to Jordan with UNHCR undertaking extensive media interviews to highlight the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.
Khaled regularly writes media articles on refugee issues – on subject matters ranging from the situation in Europe to innovative cash assistance programs to the importance of investing in the education of refugee children.
Khaled supports major UNHCR campaign moments through filmed messages and via his social media platforms including World Refugee Day, the iBelong campaign to end statelessness, and the Nansen Refugee Award. He is equally committed to supporting UNHCR’s fundraising efforts with the general public and with private sector partners.
