UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect and assist displaced people around the world and to help find lasting solutions for them. Set up with modest goals in 1950, UNHCR has since helped tens of millions of people, winning two Nobel Peace Prizes along the way for its vital humanitarian work. For those forced to flee their homes to escape war or persecution, the UN refugee agency is often the last hope for a return to a normal life. Today a staff of over 8,000 are working in 126 countries, as the number of displaced people worldwide — 51 million — is at the highest level since the second World War. Refugee Protection, Humanitarians Assistance, Emergency Response, Human Rights