This Is What It’s Like To Be An LGBT Syrian Fleeing For Your Life

Many — especially trans people who stand out on the street — will be victims of hate crimes from Turks or other refugees who come from the very countries they are fleeing, according to the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM), which advocates on behalf of LGBT people.

UNHCR-Turkey now reports 700 LGBT people in its system, but ORAM believes there are many more who don’t know they can seek asylum... on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity or are too afraid to out themselves. In 2014, UNHCR asked the governments that resettle refugees from Turkey to consider the cases of 227 LGBT people, most of whom were from Iran.

Congratulations U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power with being honored by the Council for Global Equality.

ORAM is doubly honored not only to have had the privilege to have Subhi Nahas, a gay Syrian refugee who works at ORAM speak before the U.N. Security Council in August, but that you also opened your speech at the CGE referencing your encounter with Subhi. Thank you.

Council for Global Equality honors Samantha Power in D.C.

19 nations pledge $1.8B to aid refugees in camps near Mideast conflict zones

Nineteen countries are donating $1.8 billion to the top U.N. aid organizations to help alleviate the suffering of migrants and refugees in camps near Mideast areas of turmoil.

The initiative organized by Germany was announced Tuesday by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Antonio Guterres, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.