Atom Araullo appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today officially conferred the title of national Goodwill Ambassador on Filipino broadcast journalist Atom Araullo.

The conferment coincides with the official launch of UNHCR’s 2 Billion Kilometers to Safety campaign in the Philippines, which Atom is also involved in.

Atom began his journey first as a UNHCR Philippines High Profile Supporter and advocate in June 2017. In this capacity, Atom has committed his voice and platform to advocate for the refugee cause through several engagements, including field missions to Mindanao, Jordan, and Bangladesh.

On his first year of engagement, Atom joined UNHCR’s protection monitoring activities in various evacuation centers in and out of Marawi City, the site of a five-month conflict that saw the displacement of more than 350,000 persons at its peak.

That same year, Atom supported UNHCR campaigns, including #WithRefugees for World Refugee Day and World Humanitarian Day. Also in 2017, for his first documentary for I-Witness, Atom traveled to Bangladesh to draw attention to the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and to highlight the work of UNHCR in Cox’s Bazar.

In 2018, Atom traveled to Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan to learn more about the Syrian refugee crisis and UNHCR’s operations that provide life-saving assistance and protection to families in Jordan.

“It’s an honor to be UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador in the Philippines. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I know how important it is to share the stories of refugees and other displaced peoples, so I look forward to more field visits to hear about their problems directly,” said Atom. “I also want to show the rest of the world that despite having our own challenges, Filipinos are incredibly compassionate and caring of others.”

Atom joins UNHCR’s global Goodwill Ambassador team to stand in solidarity with refugees at a time of multiple refugee emergencies, most of them underfunded.

“Today, Atom officially joins the goodwill ambassador circle of UNHCR. Atom is the newest addition to the roster of Goodwill Ambassadors, whose powerful action and voice have been making a huge positive difference for the lives of those forcibly displaced. I have witnessed personally his commitment to the world’s refugees and his extraordinary capacity to talk about the complicated issue of displacement in a manner that is clear, passionate, and convincing,” said Shinji Kubo, UNHCR Representative to the Philippines. “I am confident that Atom’s new role as UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador will further enrich UNHCR’s protection work on behalf of 68.5 million people who are forcibly displaced worldwide.”

As UNHCR Philippines’ first Goodwill Ambassador, Atom will continue to raise awareness and advocate for refugees, stateless persons, and internally displaced persons. This year, he plans to strengthen his involvement in UNHCR’s #CitiesWithRefugees and 2 Billion Kilometers to Safety campaigns as well as advocacy on the Global Compact on Refugees.

Atom Araullo is available for interviews. 

For media inquiries, please contact:

• Althea Gonzales, [email protected], +63 (02) 403 2336 ext. 2150

For more information regarding Atom Araullo’s support to date, please visit this page.

About UNHCR:

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We deliver life-saving assistance like shelter, food and water, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality.