Ewan Watson
@EWatsonUNHCR
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Head of Global Communications for the UN Refugee Agency. Occasionally homesick Scot with a piece of my heart in Colombia.
Geneva, Switzerland
Joined May 2011
I am honoured to have been elected as the incoming United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. As a former refugee, I know first-hand how protection and opportunity can change the course of a life. That experience will inform a leadership approach grounded in empathy,
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UNHCR is helping survivors in the central Med after a boat capsized near Lampedusa, killing at least 20 people. Strengthened asylum systems and more legal pathways for migrant workers will help put an end to these awful tragedies. https://t.co/BoU8sNY2oR
theguardian.com
UN refugee agency says more people could still be missing at sea, with between 70 and 80 believed to have survived
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I am in Lebanon, heading to Syria for #WorldRefugeeDay. Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December—a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions. This proves that we need political solutions—not another wave of instability and displacement.
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Coming up - @Refugees high commissioner @FilippoGrandi will be speaking to @SkyYaldaHakim this evening about how brutal funding cuts are putting lives at risk.
Coming up on The World with @SkyYaldaHakim... 🌍 More than 1,000 people detained in Turkey after protests over president's main rival being jailed 🌍 UN High Commissioner for Refugees @FilippoGrandi ⏰ 9pm 📱 https://t.co/4iUo4YkzAj 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 & YT
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Suffering. Instability. Lives lost. This is the impact of brutal funding cuts on refugees. Now is the time for solidarity, not retreat. Read @FilippoGrandi’s media statement here:
unhcr.org
Brutal funding cuts in the humanitarian sector are putting millions of lives at risk. The consequences for people fleeing danger will be immediate and devastating, UNHCR’s Filippo Grandi says of the...
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The war in Ukraine rages on, forcing well over 1000 people every day to flee danger. @Refugees is providing the most vulnerable with shelter, emergency relief & psychological care. Sustained support is critical. https://t.co/XQ1H3cGhOO
unhcr.org
As we mark three years of devastating war in Ukraine, millions of ordinary Ukrainians – one third of the current population – are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Their plight should be...
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200,000 Syrian refugees have already returned to their home country since the Assad regime fell late last year. In Jordan, and elsewhere, we’re helping people who’ve decided to rebuild their lives in Syria, a country just starting to recover from years of conflict.
About 100 refugees are leaving from #Azraq camp in Jordan this morning, returning to Syria Wishing them a safe journey home
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Happening now! Don’t miss the #NansenAward ceremony tonight, where we celebrate outstanding dedication to the cause of forcibly displaced and stateless people. Tune in here:
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Today, we launch the Global Alliance to End Statelessness. A vital step towards a world where everyone belongs. Millions of people are denied a nationality, so can't go to school, get a job, buy a house or get married. A solution is within our grasp.
statelessnessalliance.org
Join our new Global Alliance to End Statelessness
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There is still so much to do for stateless people, who continue to suffer silently. "They are alive yet they don't belong anywhere'', says @BH_officiel in a moving testimony. We must urgently strive to end statelessness worldwide.
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"The overwhelming message from the people I met is that they want peace. A ceasefire for Lebanon and Gaza, sustained by a meaningful peace process, is the only way to break the cycle of violence, of hatred, and of misery." https://t.co/HJqklT6rbH
unhcr.org
Good morning. This has been a year of extremes. A year of contradictions. A year of loss and of grief, without doubt, as we continue to witness conflict, violence and abuses that displace millions....
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At @Refugees' Executive Committee this morning, High Commissioner @FilippoGrandi asked delegates to "hold on to hope" for peace despite a year of loss and grief. Amid spiraling humanitarian emergencies, UNHCR will keep helping the most vulnerable. 👇 https://t.co/HJqklT6rbH
unhcr.org
Good morning. This has been a year of extremes. A year of contradictions. A year of loss and of grief, without doubt, as we continue to witness conflict, violence and abuses that displace millions....
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This school in Beirut should be a place for kids to learn. Instead, it’s become a makeshift shelter for people fleeing the airstrikes. @Refugees is helping with mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets. Much more is needed. Most of all, a ceasefire so people can go home safely.
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Am with @FilippoGrandi today in Lebanon, a country engulfed by a humanitarian crisis. 1 million people have been displaced by Israeli air strikes over the last 2 weeks. We’re here to show solidarity and ask for international support to ramp up.
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Cindy Ngamba's name gets etched in the Olympic record books. @CindyNgamba beat French Davina Michel to reach the 75kg boxing semi-finals, becoming the first ever athlete from the IOC @RefugeesOlympic Team to secure an Olympic medal. Read more: https://t.co/hMZuBIZlof (Photo
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An amazing moment at the #Paris2024 Olympic Games #OpeningCeremony. High Commissioner @FilippoGrandi accepted the Olympic Laurel on behalf of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency: an award that recognizes the power of sport to help refugees heal and find hope.
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All the chills this evening as #Paris2024 gets going. The crowd gathered here at the opening ceremony gave the @RefugeesOlympic team the biggest cheer. It’s an amazing achievement to go from refugee to Olympian. Great to see that recognised so publicly.
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What a moment - @Refugees High Commissioner, @FilippoGrandi carries the Olympic torch in honour of all people forced to flee. At #Paris2024 , we’re cheering on the @RefugeesOlympic Team as they compete with the best. Their determination to succeed against all odds is amazing!
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Powerful words from my colleague @OmerElnaiem on the worsening humanitarian situation for millions of people forced to flee fighting in Sudan.
Only peace can bring hope in Sudan, but it seems out of reach. UNHCR’s @OmerElnaiem reports from his homeland, which is now a country in ruins. The situation is getting worse every day while global attention is waning. We must #KeepEyesOnSudan.
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