The Philippines has a long history of extending its kindness to successive waves of refugees fleeing persecution since the end of World War I, and it continues to uphold this humanitarian tradition to support the forcibly displaced today.
Yvette arrived in the Philippines a little over a year ago. She is originally from Cameroon, a beautiful and diverse country that is also rife with conflict. The fighting between opposing groups killed millions and displaced many more.
In the several villages, the men and women abandoned their homes when they first heard gunfire. Family members stood helpless as they watched their loved ones fall to bullets in their once peaceful towns. This is how Yvette’s husband lost his life in Cameroon. This incident led Yvette to become one of the millions who fled their homes because of an ongoing catastrophe.
Majority of the asylum seekers and refugees come from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and various parts of Africa. Each one of them, like Yvette, took on a dangerous journey in their search for survival. “I left because I was in danger,” she said.
A new hope
Out of the millions of refugees and asylum seekers, a small number arrive on Philippine shores in search of protection and support. According to a report released by UNHCR, there are less than a thousand people who sought safety in the Philippines in 2018. Yvette was one of them.
To supplement the protection provided to refugees by the Philippine Government, UNHCR works with partners multiple sectors, including the academe, to develop solutions that will empower refugees to become self-reliant, and enable them to meet their basic needs in a sustainable and dignified manner.
To help her better adjust to a life in the Philippines, Yvette is taking computer training classes at San Beda University along with other refugees. De La Salle University, too, has recently offered a scholarship for English language training to a refugee, Sunshine.
Investing in refugees’ education is the most powerful way we can help them to be self-reliant. It is also central to the development of the places that have welcomed them, and to the future prosperity of their own countries once they can return.
A long history
Filipinos have a long history of extending its kindness to those who have been forced to flee from their home. This nation was among the first to spontaneously offer asylum to successive waves of refugees fleeing persecution since the end of World War I. The Philippines continues to uphold this humanitarian tradition as it continues to support the forcibly displaced like Yvette.
During the Global Refugee Forum held last December 2019, the Philippines expressed its continued commitment to build better futures for refugees and displaced persons.
The world is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with more than 70 million people fleeing from their homes due to conflict and violence, but it is through the support of our donors and partners like you that we are able to help refugees and internally displaced persons like Yvette build a better future in safety and in dignity.
For more information, see also:
Refugees in Cameroon
The Refugee Project