A new $6 million donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will help nearly 85,000 refugees in Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson met with a UNHCR delegation on Temple Square on Tuesday, April 23, to share the donation with them, and the news was announced in a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org on Friday.
“We know this will bless the lives of so many women and children,” President Johnson said. “About 80% of the refugees around the world are women and children. And this effort, this collaboration, will allow us to address the needs of so many that are suffering.”
UNHCR is a global organization established after World War II and dedicated to protecting people forced to flee their homes.
Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé said the Church is grateful for its longstanding relationship with UNHCR — a relationship that has been ongoing for 30 years.
“UNHCR’s efforts to help those in need find safety, shelter aligns with our mission to love God and love our neighbor,” Bishop Caussé said. “We pray that those who have been displaced by this conflict will find comfort and hope.”
USA for UNHCR Executive Director and CEO Suzanne Ehlers said the Church’s contribution means that aid can now get to some of the most critical emergencies around the world that are not making news headlines — where people are suffering.
Ehlers said the Church and UNHCR have a collaborative effort with a rich history.
“It shows to me a longstanding commitment to meet the needs of those who are most vulnerable around the world,” she said.
The Church has engaged in 109 projects in many countries with USA for UNHCR and works with many other organizations around the world to care for those in need. The Church’s Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary outlined more than $1.3 billion in expenditures and 4,119 humanitarian projects blessing people in 191 countries and territories.
“We work with our friends who are likeminded like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — those that have an interest, as we do, in blessing the lives of women and children,” President Johnson said.
The Relief Society has a global initiative to prioritize the health and well-being of women and children around the world.
“We know that when you bless a woman, you bless a family. When you bless a child, you bless the future, you bless generations,” President Johnson said. “Our efforts and our focus have been on these global needs of women and children. And it’s through collaborations with these kinds of organizations that we can do the most good.”
While in Utah, the USA for UNHCR delegation visited the Bishops’ Central Storehouse, Humanitarian Center and Taylorsville Utah Temple open house.
