Stories

This wildfire season has been one of the most severe in recent memory — the worst since 2006, when records began. Across Europe, flames have threatened homes, communities, and natural landscapes.

In the heart of Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee Camp— one of the world’s largest refugee settlements—15-year-old Ifrah Ahmed Garad is rewriting the story of what it means to be a girl born into displacement.

In the peaceful yet sombre confines of his home in Lahj, Yemen, 25-year-old Khaldoon reflects on his crutches — an ever-present reminder of a life transformed by tragedy.

When disaster strikes, every second counts. A bark in the silence of collapsed concrete can mean someone is still alive. Search and rescue dogs, trained to detect the faintest trace of human scent, are vital allies in international emergency response.

Since fleeing the Syrian conflict in 2014, 39-year-old Palestine refugee Samer lives in a refugee camp in Lebanon. He carefully manages his family’s limited electricity supply, which he pays for through a private generator subscription.

More than 1 million hectares have burned—the largest area recorded in the EU since 2006. Almost 2,000 fires have been detected since January, nearly double the number during the same period last year.

Since January 2025, large-scale military operations have caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure in Jenin city, its refugee camp, and neighbouring villages. Hundreds of houses have been destroyed while dozens of schools have been forced to close.

In this story map, you will get an insight in EU preparedness and response to wildfires in 2025.

The work of a rescuer has always been a symbol of self-sacrifice. But for Ukrainian state emergency service personnel, in the time of full-scale war, it has become a daily act of heroism, marked by constant danger and unpredictable challenges.

Hawo Abukar, 26, stands inside her small grocery shop in an camp for internally displaced people in Mogadishu, her face lit up with a warm, gentle smile. The shelves around her are neatly arranged. But behind her calm demeanour is a story of resilience.

It doesn’t take long for a spark to ignite and turn into towering red flames devouring a forest. But it can take much longer for rescue teams to receive a call for help and reach the scene – especially in remote, mountainous terrain.

On International Day to Protect Education from Attack we recognise the important role of education to provide hope for the future. Children’s right to quality education should not stop in times of humanitarian emergencies. 

For millions of children across Latin America, attending school is not a given. Conflict, natural disasters, extreme poverty, and displacement often make education inaccessible or unsafe.

For over a decade, war negatively shaped Ahmed’s family’s life: they were displaced, separated, and forced to abandon everything they held dear. When the Assad regime fell in December 2024, they were able to return to their village.

Meet Polish and Sonita, 2 young people in Cameroon who turned trauma into strength, thanks to an impactful humanitarian partnership between the European Union and INTERSOS.

'We fled after the arrival of armed groups. I had to ensure the safety of my family,’ says Rafiki Dukuze, a father of four, recalling the day violence forced him and his wife Ancila Niyonzima out of their home in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Education is not just a fundamental right – it is a powerful tool for change. During conflict, it protects children from harm, offers them hope for a better future, and is one of the strongest interventions against child marriage and recruitment into armed groups.

Since 2016, conflict between government forces and separatist groups in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions - North-West and South-West – has displaced nearly 600,000 people. With support from the European Union, the World Food Programme is helping families like Joyce’s and Manfred’s to recover

Every year, on International Dog Day, we celebrate the special bond between humans and their lifelong companions. But for some dogs, this bond also comes with a life-saving mission.