Team Refugees: Hope and Voice for Displaced Youth

For young athletes, forced from their homes due to conflict and disaster, the chance to compete on the world stage is not only an opportunity to bring global attention to the refugee crisis, but to become symbols of hope for refugees worldwide. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, ten refugee athletes will compete as Team Refugees at the games. Competing under the Olympic flag, the International Olympic Committee has formed Team Refugees for this year’s games to show solidarity with the world’s refugees.

The Team Refugee initiative has come at a time when more people than ever in recorded history are forced to flee their homes. UNHCR estimated last year that approximately 59.5 million people globally are either have status as a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum. Over half of the world’s refugees are children, worsening the global crisis. When youth have to flee their homes, their education is interrupted and  access to food and healthcare deteriorate. Most refugees also end up in economically less developed countries where they face poverty and social exclusion.

“Their participation in the Olympics is a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees in overcoming adversity and building a better future for themselves and their families,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

For these young Team Refugees athletes, sports helped them to overcome social barriers and exclusion to become a part of the society of their host country or new home. Competing at the Olympics also enables these young athletes to speak out and bring attention to the crises that forced them to flee and hopefully bring change to the treatment and wellbeing of refugees.

Rose Nathike Lokonyen, a 23 year old refugee runner originally from South Sudan learned about her talents during a school competition in her refugee camp in northern Kenya. She hopes that her 800 metre competition will inspire other young refugees. “I will be representing my people there at Rio, and maybe if I succeed I can come back and conduct a race that can promote peace, and bring people together.”

Learn more about the athletes competing at the Summer Games and follow the hashtag #TeamRefugees.

To learn more about our work on youth visit social.un.org/youth.

UNDESA DSPD