UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency 27d ago

“I always tell people that it's the refugee-led organizations that are the most important actors in this entire ecosystem,” says Heidy Quah, founder of Malaysian NGO Refuge for the Refugees. “They are the first-line responders. They fully understand what their members are going through.” Refugee-led organizations support displaced communities with education, jobs, skills-building, mental health and more, but funding cuts threaten this essential safety net. Malaysia is host to more than 200,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, the vast majority having fled conflict and persecution in nearby Myanmar. But without legal status in the country, refugees live in limbo, cut off from many basic rights and services – education for their children, access to public health care, and the ability to work legally. Instead, many rely on refugee-led organizations and NGOs for safety, support and a chance to rebuild their lives. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, works with and supports a number of refugee-led organizations in Malaysia, in addition to its network of local partners. Quah’s NGO also works with organizations staffed and led by refugees, who, she said, are best placed to understand and respond to their own needs. UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, works to protect and assist those fleeing war and persecution. Since 1950, we have helped tens of millions of people find safety and rebuild their lives. With your support, we can restore hope for many more. Learn more on our website: http://UNHCR.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------