We are pleased to announce that Danijel Malbasa, a former Yugoslav refugee who is now a powerful advocate, writer and lawyer, is the inaugural winner of the Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. “I feel very honoured to have won this award. It’s an amazing time for us former refugees to raise their voices,” he said. Danijel and his family fled Croatia and lived in refugee camps for five years, before UNHCR helped resettle them in Australia. See how Danijel is raising his voice for refugees two decades later. Over the past two months, more than 5 million refugees have fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries, and this number continues to rise. Poland has provided refuge to more than 2.8 million people, including Rozalia and her two-year-old son. Thanks to the support of our wonderful donors, Rozalia is receiving cash assistance which will help cover her immediate needs.
While media attention has focused on Ukraine, UNHCR continues to support displaced people around the world. Angelina Jolie, the Special Envoy for UNHCR, recently visited Yemen to draw attention to the devastating consequences of the conflict, now in its seventh year. She met Mudeera, a mother of five who is struggling to feed her children anything other than tea and bread. UNHCR is calling for more support for this underfunded crisis. Abo and Layla are amongst millions of refugees observing the holy month of Ramadan in incredibly difficult circumstances. They live in constant uncertainty and struggle to put food on the table. See how Ramadan donations are bringing hope to these families.
Raising his voice “Danijel is an incredibly worthy recipient of the Les Murray Award and I hope it gives him a platform to tell his story to a larger audience,” said Kate Dundas, Australia for UNHCR Deputy Chair and judge of the Les Murray Award.
Yemen's unrelenting humanitarian crisis Seven years into the conflict, UNHCR hopes to expand support for refugees like Mudeera, however its work remains critically underfunded.
You are invited to our annual World Refugee Day lunch on Thursday 16 June 2022. Join us for an in-person lunch in Sydney or livestream the event from home. Register now to hear first-hand from refugees, who will share their stories of courage and resilience.
