The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has appointed leading Lebanese TV presenter, Raya Abirached, as its regional goodwill ambassador, making her the first Arab woman to hold such a position in the organization for the MENA region.
Abirached, known for her activities in supporting refugees and displaced people in the region, says addressing challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic within refugee communities is her top priority.
A celebrity journalist working for the pan Arab channel MBC for years, Abirached says that using her online platforms is essential to campaign for refugee communities.
According to UNHCR, there are currently 26 million refugees worldwide. Ten percent of these individuals live in formal camps managed by UNHCR.
A wave of unrest in the MENA region over the past decade has led to a major refugee crisis. After a decade since Syria’s war began, UNHCR statistics show that 5.6 million Syrian refugees are hosted in countries near Syria. Their lives have only become more difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Reuters)