Barcelona, january
Clowns Without Borders Spain is preparing its first expedition to Egypt, from January 31 to February 9, with the aim of bringing joy and emotional support to refugee children living in situations of extreme vulnerability. A team made up of two volunteer artists, Anna Montserrat and Marcelo González, will travel to Cairo to perform for hundreds of children, primarily from Sudan, who have fled as a result of armed conflict. During the eight days they will spend in the city, they will also perform for children from South Sudan, Syria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, Iraq, and Somalia.
For decades, Egypt has hosted forcibly displaced populations. UNHCR, the partner organization with which Clowns Without Borders Spain will be working on this occasion, has been operating in the country since 1954, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Egyptian government. UNHCR provides services including protection, registration, documentation, refugee status determination, and resettlement for refugee populations.
After the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan in April 2023, a large number of civilians were forced to flee to Egypt and other neighboring countries in search of safety. In response to this emergency, Clowns Without Borders Spain is focusing its actions on refugee children from Sudan, given the severity of the conflict and the limited visibility it has received.
Today, Egypt also provides support to refugees and asylum seekers from more than 60 nationalities, including Syrians, South Sudanese, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Somalis, Yemenis, and Iraqis. In this context, the Clowns Without Borders Spain expedition seeks to help alleviate the emotional impact of forced displacement on children by creating spaces of joy through laughter.
With this first expedition to Egypt, Clowns Without Borders Spain reaffirms its commitment to refugee children and to the right to joy as a basic human need, even in the most adverse contexts.
About the organization
Clowns Without Borders is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing joy and emotional support to those who need it most in times of crisis. Since 1993, artists and performing arts professionals have come together with a shared purpose: to bring smiles and hope to the most vulnerable people.
The organization works alongside communities affected by armed conflict and natural disasters, offering performances for refugee and displaced children that help relieve trauma and strengthen resilience. They perform in refugee camps and emergency settings because they believe in the transformative power of laughter: a weapon of mass construction that unites, heals, and restores dignity.
