UNHCR names Atom Araullo as newest goodwill ambassador

According to Kubo, he himself witnessed Araullo’s commitment to the world’s refugees and his “extraordinary capacity to talk about the complicated issue of displacement.” (File photo by Artu Nepomuceno via atomaraullo/Instagram)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has named Kapuso broadcast journalist Atom Araullo as its new  National Goodwill Ambassador.

UNHCR Representative to the Philippines Shinji Kubo conferred the title to Araullo on Tuesday, February 5, coinciding with the official launch of UNHCR’s 2 Billion Kilometers to Safety campaign in the country.

“It’s an honor to be UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador in the Philippines.

It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I know how important it is to share the stories of refugees and other displaced peoples, so I look forward to more field visits to hear about their problems directly,” the media personality said, as quoted in the UNHRC’s statement.

He continued, “I also want to show the rest of the world that despite having our own challenges, Filipinos are incredibly compassionate and caring of others.”

It was in June 2017 when Araullo became a high-profile supporter and advocate for the UNHCR. Since then, the UN body noted that Araullo “committed his voice and platform to advocate for the refugee cause through several engagements, including field mission to Mindanao, Jordan, and Bangladesh.”

In fact, for his first documentary for i-Witness also in that same year, the broadcast journalist shared with the public the story of Rohingya people who went to Bangladesh to escape violence against them in Myanmar.

He also supported UNHCR campaigns like #WithRefugees for World Refugee Day and World Humanitarian Day, as well as joined UNHCR’s protection monitoring activities in various evacuation centers inside and outside of Marawi City, where the month-long siege between government troops and militants took place.

Last year, Araullo traveled to Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan to gather more information about the Syrian refugee crisis and UNHCR’s operations which give life-saving assistance and protection to families in Jordan.

According to Kubo, he himself witnessed Araullo’s commitment to the world’s refugees and his “extraordinary capacity to talk about the complicated issue of displacement.”

With this, the UNHCR official said he is confident that the journalist can perform well as their new Goodwill Ambassador and that he believes that Araullo can enrich the body’s protection work.

The UNHCR said Araullo is planning to “strengthen” his involvement in its #CitiesWithRefugees and 2 Billion Kilometers to Safety campaigns as well as his advocacy on the Global Compact on Refugees this 2019.