Not everyone gets to go home for the holidays. Refugees facing crisis, from Ukraine to Sudan, have endured devastating circumstances to find solace and safety.
110 million people have been declared refugees in 2023 — the highest number ever recorded.
Even after finding safety, refugees face challenges as they try to build a community in their new homes. These two stories from the UN Refugee Agency: one from a Sudanese refugee in Chad, and another from Ukrainian refugees in the United States, show how refugees manage to find hope in unfamiliar places.
Sudan to Chad, 2023
After armed conflict broke out in Sudan, Zeinab’s family were shot and killed in her home — which was later destroyed. Zeinab had no choice but to leave the West Dafur State with her two children. She is one of 180,000 refugees who have fled for Chad, and like many others, her journey was not easy.
Zeinab, a 22-year-old Sudanese woman, lost her family after they were shot and killed in her home after armed conflict broke out in Sudan. While Zeinab and her two children were able to escape, their struggle was only just beginning. For 45 days she fed on only beans and could get water only at night. Then she became on of the 180,000 refugees who have fled for Chad.
Ukraine to the United States, 2023
Wonder Foods is a Ukrainian grocery store in Philadelphia run by Vira Lyakh. She’s an immigrant from Ukraine who has lived in the United States for over a decade. After the war broke out, Lyakh wanted to do something meaningful for Ukrainian refugees in Philadelphia. Worldwide, there are over 6.2 million refugees from Ukraine. In the Unites States, there are 271,000. Lyakh wanted to help establish a sense of community and belonging for new Ukrainian refugees — so she welcomed them as employees in her grocery store. This has helped her team find community away from home while feeling welcomed in their new country.
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