Dear John, 

Today is an incredibly special day for us and we want to share it with you.

70 years ago, UNHCR was born from the ashes of World War II. The war was over, but a crisis remained. Millions had fled from the fighting and entire communities had been destroyed.

As the world has evolved, we’ve witnessed new and changing emergencies and instances of persecution causing devastation all over the world. But we’ve been there every time to provide protection, pick up the pieces and give displaced people the chance to start again. And supporters like you have been right behind us.

Today is our 70th anniversary. We are proud of the lives we’ve saved and the refugees who have overcome trauma to create positive futures. We also mourn the lives lost and the ongoing displacement of millions of people forced to flee their homes.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us and continuing to stand for the rights of refugees. Together with 17,000 colleagues working in 135 countries across the globe, we’re saving lives, defending rights and building better futures for millions who are forced to flee. We cannot continue this vital work without your support.

This month we are celebrating the release of the "What You Need to be Warm" video and want to pass on a message to you from Neil Gaiman himself: 

"A month ago, I invited you to #DrawForRefugees to help bring my poem “What You Need to be Warm” to life. I can honestly say I was blown away by the response; we received hundreds of illustrations and some of you even sent in several drawings! I was so hugely inspired by your creativity, we tried to fit as many of your illustrations in the film as possible."

“What You Need to be Warm”, the animation, is now here and we are incredibly excited to share it with you at a time where we could all use a little extra warmth. Together, we must remember to share that warmth with displaced families across the globe who are especially vulnerable as temperatures plummet and winter storms wreak havoc in camps and settlements. 

Breno Valentini
UNHCR International Supporter Care

P.S. Head to our Instagram to see some of the most striking images, biggest operations and best reunions in the last 70 years!