Aden, Yemen: With 20,000 new mouths to feed this year alone, one UNV volunteer working with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Yemen plays a vital part in managing a little-reported emergency. Read

Bengo Province, Angola: A UNV volunteer's community development work in Angola aims to empower refugee communities in terms of self-help, self-management and self-reliance. These strategies are particularly necessary for women, girls and children, who constitute the majority of the refugees there. Read

Quito, Ecuador: Since 2006, UNV has been cooperating with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ecuador on teaching English to displaced people. The project mobilizes local volunteers who help refugees prepare for life in English-speaking destinations. Read

Abyei, Sudan: After years of north-south war, the signing of Sudan's peace agreement in early 2005 meant refugees could go back to their places of origin. As a 'triple R' officer, I assist people as they come home and guide them as they begin to rebuild their lives. Read

Sichuan Province, China: UNV volunteers are working in Sichuan province in China to support medical relief for people displaced by the recent earthquake. One of them is writing an online diary of his experiences (last updated 1 June), and was joined in May by two others. Read

Peshawar, Pakistan: With the help of a UNV volunteer, Afghan refugees in Pakistan are developing sustainable self-governance methods - turning their camp into a community they run and pay for themselves. Read

Bonn, Germany: With a million people in need of urgent aid, thousands of local volunteers are expected to play a vital role in relief efforts in Myanmar.  Among those already active are 20 volunteers of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme currently in the country.  They are providing expertise and organizing local volunteers to help with relief and early recovery efforts. Read

Collaboration between UNV and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) dates back to the early 1990s and has been expanding progressively over the past years as humanitarian crises continue to unfold.  In 2000, 362 UNV volunteers were deployed in 46 UNHCR operations.  By 2006, this figure had doubled, with almost 796 UNV volunteers deployed in 74 countries.  So far in 2007, over 600 UNV volunteers have been deployed in 69 countries, half of these serving in their own countries.  Read

UNV volunteers are considered core staff of UNHCR's confidence building measures. Within this framework, UNV volunteers undertake an array of tasks --  from ensuring smooth phone calls in Tindouf to selecting beneficiaries of family visits to provide 24-hour support to the families during the visits. Read

Duma, Syria: The conflict in Iraq has produced a largely silent exodus:  an estimated 40,000 Iraqis flee to Syria every month.  In Douma, they are received by 30 UNV volunteers working as registration clerks at the country’s largest registration centre for Iraqis refugees.

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