Refugee Olympian Yiech Pur Biel named UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

Description

A refugee, Pur was forced to flee the conflict in South Sudan in 2005, journeying alone to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya when he was only ten years old. Growing up in Kakuma, Pur devoted himself to athletic training despite the intense heat and basic facilities in the camp. He trained at the Tegla Loroupe camp in Nairobi, and began running competitively in 2015, before being part of the first Refugee Olympic Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. “It is a huge honour for me to be able to use my status as an athlete to help refugees and displaced people, to share my own story and those of other refugees like me and make sure that refugees all over the world have a voice. I want to be an ambassador for refugees everywhere and I am so happy to be able to continue my commitment to working with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, helping refugees not only to survive but also to thrive. This work is incredible and vitally important to so many people all over the world.” said Pur, who has supported UNHCR since 2016. In his new role as a Goodwill Ambassador Pur will continue to advocate for the rights of the displaced whilst he continues his training to be on the Refugee Olympic team in Tokyo 2021. His appointment comes at a time when UNHCR’s Global Trends report states that over 79.5 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced. South Sudan’s long history of displacement, both before and after its independence in 2011 is listed by the report as a major crisis which contributed significantly to global displacement. Read more on the amazing Pur here: https://bit.ly/31ookl1 Information for media: If you would like to use this video to communicate refugee stories or require B-Roll, transcripts, stills or much more information, please visit our media page: https://media.unhcr.org --- Keep up to date with our latest videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/unhcr?sub_confirmation=1 -- UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, works to protect and assist those fleeing war and persecution. Since 1950, we have helped tens of millions of people find safety and rebuild their lives. With your support, we can restore hope for many more. Read more at http://UNHCR.org Support our work with refugees now by subscribing to this channel, liking this video and sharing it with your friends and contacts. Thanks so much for your help.

Metadata

Published to Youtube on: 06/08/2020

Archived on: 12/03/2025

Original URL (may no longer be available): https://youtube.com/watch?v=DsyHW2R9d0U