Uplifting Refugee Voices

Every year on World Refugee Day, we come together to bring attention to the global refugee crisis, celebrate refugees and highlight the lived experiences of displaced people around the world. In 2021, we highlighted the voices of five young refugees for World Refugee Day, including Abdallah Al-Obaidi.

Abdallah became a refugee at a young age when his family was forced to flee Iraq. As a refugee in Jordan for eight years—he had no citizenship, no health insurance and very limited opportunities. Motivated by the plight of other refugees around him, he wanted to help ease their physical and emotional suffering. As a resettled refugee in the U.S. now, he’s uplifting others by pursuing a career in medicine. 

Abdallah was the featured refugee from our Storyteller Celebration whose story was turned into an award-winning animated short. USA for UNHCR received three Telly Awards, two Anthem awards and was a finalist for the Shorty Awards.