Danish Refugee Council was founded in 1956. Since then, as wars and conflicts increased and the need for help grew, so did our organisation. Today, we are present in 40 countries around the world and are one of the world's leading humanitarian organisations specialising in refugees and displacement.
Danish Refugee Council today works in 40 countries to create and protect sustainable futures for refugees and other displaced people.
'Help' is a word we humans use often. When we ask for help to move something heavy, make a difficult decision, or when we offer it to a grateful friend who would never ask for it themselves.
But we don't always realize how valuable a helping hand really is. For those who need it, it can make all the difference in the world. For those with the resources and willingness to offer it, it can feel like the most important thing of all.
When a train full of Hungarian refugees rolled into Padborg station late one evening in 1956, reaching out with a helping hand was the beginning of something big for a small Danish aid organisation.
On the evening of 30 November 1956, a train pulled into Padborg Station. It had been travelling for two days from Vienna, where refugees from Hungary had gathered after the Russian intervention in their country.
Some 200,000 left Hungary in those days, and the Danish government stepped in to offer shelter to 1,000 of them. They were the ones on board the train that pulled into Padborg station that November night.
There, a group of Danes stood ready to receive them. Musicians played Hungarian folk songs, and volunteers handed out cups of hot tea and pastries to the exhausted travellers. Speeches were also given. Because it was important to give a proper welcome!
That's how DRC Danish Refugee Council came to be. Since then, as wars and conflicts increased and the need for help grew, so did we. Today, we're present in 40 countries around the world - and it's thanks to people like you that we've become one of the world's leading humanitarian organisations specialising in helping refugees and displaced people.
DRC Danish Refugee Council is Denmark's largest international humanitarian organisation. Our 9,000 employees work to ensure a dignified life for refugees and displaced people in 40 countries around the world.
We provide emergency relief, protection, and durable solutions around the world, while in Denmark we counsel refugees about their options and help them integrate.
