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Santa Barbara – Disaster relief agency ShelterBox USA is delivering vital supplies across the globe as the United Nations recognizes refugees forced to flee due to conflict, persecution and violence on World Refugee Day, Saturday June 20.
“On World Refugee Day, we honor the extraordinary courage, resilience and fortitude of the tens of millions of people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety,” said Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA.
“This year’s theme, ‘Until Everyone Is Safe,’ is a powerful reminder that safety is indivisible. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 (U.N.) Refugee Convention, we are called to recognize a simple truth: no one is truly secure until the most vulnerable among us are protected.”
ShelterBox USA is supporting refugees in hot zones around the world including Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nigeria and Mozambique. All those countries made the Neglected Displacement Crises Report just issued by the Norwegian Refuge Council or NRC.
Mariatou's story from Cameroon:
The United Nations reported this week that more than 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence worldwide in 2025. One in every 70 people in the world are now forcibly displaced..
“World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees cannot only survive but thrive,” according to the U.N.
Sudan remains the largest internal displacement crisis globally with 9.1 million people displaced within the country at the end of 2025. The U.N. reports the number of refugees from Sudan grew to 2.8 million by the end of 2025, an increase of 35% from the previous year. The conflict is in its fourth year.
Among the ways ShelterBox is protecting refugees is by providing sustainable, longer-lasting shelters. Many Sudanese refugees flee into Chad, and there forcibly displaced people have moved from ShelterBox tents to more sustainable mud brick shelters. Refugees are taught how to form the bricks, stack them and create a durable home.
Since 2009, Boko Haram violence spread out of Nigeria, forcing many refugees into Cameroon. More than 2 million people fled from armed attacks, often carrying only what they could, crossing into areas already struggling with lengthy droughts and flash floods. Since 2015, ShelterBox has supported over 250,000 people in and around Cameroon’s Minawao camp with shelter and emergency aid.
“At ShelterBox, we see firsthand that shelter is more than a roof overhead. It is the foundation from which families begin to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope,” Murray said. “On this World Refugee Day, let us move beyond awareness to action. Together, we can ensure that displaced families are not forgotten and that they receive the shelter, support and solidarity they deserve.”
According to the United Nations, World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on June, 20, 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.
Since its founding in 2000, ShelterBox has provided emergency shelter and life-saving aid to more than three million people across 100 countries. The charity holds a 100% rating on Charity Navigator and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, including in 2025, for its work in the world’s worst disaster and conflict zones.
To learn more or donate, visit www.shelterboxusa.org