About Us

Learn more about UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Photo: ©UNHCR/Hereward Holland

The United Nations Refugee Agency, also known as UNHCR, helps people displaced by violence, persecution and conflict.

UNHCR is the acronym for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We’re also known as the UN Refugee Agency. UNHCR is the world’s leading organization for aiding and protecting people forced to flee due to violence, conflict and persecution. We provide water, food, shelter, health care and other life-saving aid to refugees and displaced communities worldwide.

The dream of most refugees is to return home. When possible, UNHCR helps refugees make this dream a reality. When refugees can’t go back home, we work to find solutions for them to rebuild their lives in another country. Since its formation by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950, UNHCR has helped millions of refugees and displaced persons and has twice received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Here, you can learn more about the work of UNHCR in Canada and around the world.

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About UNHCR

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is the world’s leading organization aiding and protecting people forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict and persecution.

Who we help

Whenever and wherever people are uprooted by conflict, UNHCR is there offering life-saving assistance.

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Our partners

Our corporate partners are transforming lives and business too.

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Frequently asked questions

Answering your most asked questions about UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

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