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Despair and devastation ring loud in headlines defined by the hopelessness and loss felt by millions everywhere. The weight of those words is heavy, and the futures of many communities seem uncertain at best. But brave individuals are rewriting their story. Theirs is not a story of hopelessness and loss, but one of optimism and strength.

A Syrian mother stopping with her family on the island of Lesbos, Greece — one of more than half a million desperate people who have fled to Europe this year from countries in chaos.

In northeastern Nigeria, 14.9 million people's lives have been shattered by the war on Boko Haram. More than 60% of those in need are children like Aisha, who saw the terrorists kill her uncle. When 11-year-old Aisha fled her home, she also had to leave school behind.

Muhammed Ali was just five days old when he and his family fled their home in war-torn Aleppo, Syria. Like many families, they had to split up to find safety. The four-year-old is now living in a camp in northern Greece with his mother and two of his siblings. His father and sister Noora are in Germany.

Eight-year-old twin sisters from Afghanistan recount harrowing tales of the fearful journey they endured as they made their escape to Europe. They are just two of the more than one million refugees from countries experiencing relentless conflicts who have fled to Europe for safety and a new start. "The smugglers had sticks and they beat us, and wouldn’t let us stop even for five minutes," one of the girls said.

Sixty percent of refugees worldwide live in cities and communities rather than in camps. Providing refugees cash instead of goods like blankets or food, allows aid agencies like the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ to reach refugees quickly and at a lower cost. Cash relief is also good for the economy. It means refugees can buy what they need from local shops, growing their communities.

As part of the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡(̽»¨¾«Ñ¡)'s 2022 Global Virtual Event, world famous cellist and ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Luminary Yo-Yo Ma met with Zarlasht and Shir Zad Sarbaz,  Afghan refugees who moved to the United States in December of 2021.