UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador post for Bahrain’s Omar Farooq

The UN Refugee Agency has appointed Bahraini filmmaker and content creator Omar Farooq as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa. According to UNHCR, the role recognises his work bringing the experiences of people forced to flee to wider audiences.

The agency also cited his efforts to raise awareness of displacement and mobilise public support for displaced people. Farooq has worked with UNHCR as a High-Profile Supporter since 2017, it noted.

From Bangladesh to the Sudan border

His first engagement with UNHCR was a visit to Bangladesh to raise awareness of the Rohingya refugee crisis, according to the agency.

UNHCR reported that he had since supported its Ramadan and winter appeals, which drew attention to emergencies including the situation in Sudan. As part of that work, he visited the Chad-Sudan border and Renk in South Sudan.

The agency credited his long-format documentaries and digital content with helping raise awareness of the challenges facing refugees and displaced communities across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. It added that his work had mobilised support for its Refugee Zakat Fund.

Farooq on the new role

“People’s stories have always taken me to places I could never have reached on my own,” Farooq stated in remarks released by UNHCR.

He explained that the role gave him “a responsibility not only to listen, but also to amplify voices that may not yet have found their way to the world”.

Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor and UNHCR Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, welcomed Farooq to the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador role. He described him as “a dedicated supporter of UNHCR for nearly a decade”.

Khalifa noted that the agency valued working with content creators who use their platforms “to foster understanding, inspire solidarity, and draw attention to the plights of forcibly displaced communities”.

What the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador role involves

As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Farooq will continue supporting refugees globally, the agency stated. His focus will be on underfunded and protracted crises, at what UNHCR described as a time of significant funding cuts and growing humanitarian needs.

He will also draw attention to refugees affected by crises that receive limited attention, the agency added.

An education project for young refugees

Farooq is also developing an education initiative with UNHCR called Beyond Borders. The agency said it aims to give young refugees the skills and tools to share their own stories.