On World Refugee Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stands with people who have been forced to flee their homes because of war and violence, helping them find safety, stability, and a path forward.
For families escaping conflict, the ICRC provides more than emergency relief — we help restore hope and dignity. Thanks to support from individuals like you, our teams offer small business grants and agricultural support that help people rebuild their livelihoods. We ensure access to essential healthcare, including physical rehabilitation for those who have suffered life‑changing injuries, so they can regain mobility and fully participate in their communities. We stand with survivors of sexual violence, providing care and protection.
We also work tirelessly to reunite families separated in the chaos of conflict, and we help ensure safe water and sanitation in camps and settlements. By promoting respect for international humanitarian law, we protect people caught in war and uphold their rights.
Your compassion makes this work possible. Here are a few stories of the people you can help.
Estelle Tilifoza is from Baraka, Congo. She travelled through the town of Rumonge in southern Burundi with her husband and five children.
“Life isn't easy,” she says. "We have neither a home nor enough food. We also don't have enough blankets. I'd like to go back home, but I don't know what the security situation is like in my hometown. We lost all our belongings in the water during the crossing. I was sick. I’ll never forget that terrifying journey.“
The ICRC is working with the Burundi Red Cross Society to deliver humanitarian services, including water trucking and disinfection. Together, we are also helping families separated by the conflict to restore contact with their relatives.
Alem is a small-scale farmer and mother in Dibko village, Ethiopia. For years, the combined shocks of regional conflict and climate change made her harvest unpredictable, leaving her family on the brink of hunger.
"Knowing that I already have quality seeds for the next season is a huge relief.“
In North Wollo of the Amhara region, thousands of families like Alem's faced a dire choice: migrate to urban centers for survival or face starvation. To break this cycle, the ICRC distributed seeds and fertilizer that supported over 30,000 people. Six months later, after the harvests, this support has increased the families’ food production, improved their well-being, and alleviated some of their fears.
Over 80% of the harvest is used for families’ food consumption, allowing them to sustain themselves for the year. Almost all can now enjoy more than two meals a day. They have also reserved seeds for the next season, covering most of their needs.
Sujud is a nine-year-old girl from Deir Ezzor, Syria. She lives with her parents and siblings in Al-Hol Camp.
Her mother explains that although Sujud was once a cheerful and engaged child, her behavior gradually changed in the camp. She became withdrawn, preferred to eat alone and experienced outbursts of nervousness, fear, and had trouble sleeping.
Sujud later visited the ICRC & SARC Al-Hol Hospital, where she began attending regular psychological support sessions with Shireen. She attended the sessions consistently with her mother, never missing an appointment. After about five sessions, signs of improvement started to show, and by the tenth session she had improved significantly. She began eating with her family again, playing with her siblings and friends in the camp, and even helping her mother with household chores.
Thank you for standing with us in solidarity with people affected by armed conflicts.
