Barham Salih pledges to mobilize support for most vulnerable refugees
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Newly elected UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said on Friday that he will work to mobilize international support to reach the most vulnerable refugee populations, according to a statement.
In a statement, Salih said his approach to leading the UN refugee agency will be shaped by his personal experience as a former refugee, noting that protection and opportunity can fundamentally change lives.
He considered his foremost responsibility would be to refugees and others forced to flee—"upholding their rights and dignity and advancing durable solutions so that displacement remains a temporary situation, not a permanent fate.”
I am honoured to have been elected as the incoming United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. As a former refugee, I know first-hand how protection and opportunity can change the course of a life. That experience will inform a leadership approach grounded in empathy,…
— Barham Salih (@BarhamSalih) December 18, 2025
As of the end of June 2025, the most recent UNHCR reporting period, 117.3 million people had been forced to flee their homes worldwide due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events seriously disturbing public order. The total includes nearly 42.5 million refugees, alongside 67.8 million people displaced within their own countries and about 8.42 million asylum seekers.
