World Refugee Day

The concept of seeking refuge, often in a holy place, dates as far back as Ancient Egypt, but international efforts to protect refugees only began in the early 20th century when the High Commission for Refugees was founded by the League of Nations in 1921.

While the Commission was originally intended to help people escaping the Russian Revolution, over time it came to care for refugees from various other countries as well.

In 1950 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was set up in Switzerland – it’s the main organization responsible for supporting and safeguarding refugees to this day. Only those Palestinian refugees who fled the 1948 war with Israel are cared for by another body, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).