Refugees contribute to society in revolutionary ways. Given the chance to find safety and attend school, many go on to become business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors who change the way we live our lives for the better. Here are seven notable inventions created by refugees.

Thousands of Syrian families were living in basements and underground shelters in Douma, Eastern Ghouta to hide from the horror raining down on them. Hear from one family how they’ve survived.

Fresh from filming the latest season of Showtime’s Homeland, actor and activist Mandy Patinkin recently traveled to Uganda with the International Rescue Committee to see what happens when refugees are welcomed with open arms.

The Trump administration and its allies launched airstrikes in Syria following a suspected chemical attack on April 7 that killed dozens of people in Douma. This military action could lead to an escalation that puts more civilians in harm’s way. Here are three options to save Syrian lives now.

The Rohingya refugee population in the Bangladesh camps has tripled since last monsoon season. Between 100,000 and 150,000 refugees are at extreme risk, living in flimsy shelters in areas prone to flooding and landslides.

Hafiza, 21, was born while her family was on the run, fleeing violence in South Sudan. Today she works with the IRC in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, providing support to women survivors of violence and abuse, and campaigning for women’s rights. 

In war-torn Libya, a roving IRC medical team is providing lifesaving care to people unable to reach a doctor because of the violence and general lawlessness that surrounds them.

Rohingya refugees who survived shocking violence in Myanmar are now threatened by heavy monsoon rains and cyclones in Bangladesh. Here’s the storm-preparedness advice aid workers are giving them.

World Refugee Day, June 20, is a global moment to shed light on the resilience and strength of people who have escaped conflict and are rebuilding their lives. In the United States, the IRC and our partners are marking it with events throughout the month of June.

Whether it’s through restrictive laws that prohibit them from working, or through language and cultural barriers that make it extremely difficult to earn an income, refugees have to try to survive another disaster—a life lived in limbo. Here's how supporting refugees to build careers benefits everyone.