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UN PhotoGonzalo Vargas Llosa (UNHCR Representative to Syria) on Awake at Night podcast with Melissa Fleming (Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications)
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Summary
Rather than follow in the footsteps of his late father, a Nobel-prize winning writer, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa opted instead to serve humanity. Now the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' Representative to Syria, he just witnessed a historic end to 14 years of conflict and crisis.
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"There were these long, long lines of cars of Syrian refugees coming back from Lebanon. So many of them stopped the car the moment that they entered Syria, they got out of the car, they kissed the ground … saying we are so happy to be back in this new Syria," Gonzalo shared.
The fall of the Assad regime has brought fresh hope for millions of displaced Syrians. Yet with a lack of housing, services and jobs still preventing most from returning, the UN is calling for action to support returnees.
In this episode, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa looks back on a career full of seismic turning points, and reflects on the painful sacrifices of a life spent in service.
Listen to the full episode on www.un.org/en/awake-at-night, UN YouTube or your favourite podcast platforms.
About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast 'Awake at Night' is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.