Refugees On Stamps

West Germany used the common design
for the World Refugee Year issue
on April 7, 1960.

Scott 807-08, Michel BRD 326-27

Switzerland issued on April 7, 1960
one stamp for the 1959/1960 World Refugee Year.

Scott 380

Great to see so many new contributions - thanks! The uprooted tree is very simply designed in the Swiss and German stamps; quite different from the Monacan one, standing above Port Hercules Harbor. (KuoL, now there are many of those J Cocteau covers here! Do you happen to know if they were printed for each country?)

Kris Rascher - Sorry, but I do not know the identity of the engraver of the Vietnam refugee raft stamps you posted on page 2 of this thread. And I wouldn't even hazard a guess, as I don't recognize the engraver's style.

Here is an image of a stamp depicting the uprooted oak emblem, designed and engraved (as is the Monaco stamp you posted immediately above) by French artist Albert Decaris (1901-1988), and issued by Cameroun on April 7, 1960 to publicize World Refugee Year, Scott No. 338.

- nethryk

Hello Nethryk, Thanks for the Decaris. Here one sees it in tiny print above the Postes. Much to my dismay, the new Michel no longer has such information.
The overprint can be explained by the following: "In 1960, the French-administered part of Cameroon became independent as the Republic of Cameroun under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. The southern part of British Cameroons merged with it in 1961 to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The country was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972 and the Republic of Cameroon in 1984." (copied from Wikip.)

Chile 1960
World Refugee Year



Souvenir sheet :

To Kris Rascher:
It appears that The United Nations produced two omnibus FDCs: the Jean Cocteau design and the uprooted oak design. These covers bear the UN emblem but different languages based on the orders from the member nations. The Jean Cocteau design was used only by countries in Europe and South America, whereas the uprooted oak design was used only by countries in North Africa, Middle East, and Asia.

KuoLC

For the Year of Refugees, 1960, Greece issued two stamps with ships. One makes it to harbor under a rainbow (a common symbol of hope and happiness), whereas the other is capsizing in a dark thunderstorm. The uprooted tree is the recognizable logo. Artwork by A. Tassos, who by the way, also did the Cypriot child. The vessel in distress could be repeated now.





Great new additions! Kuol, I hope you don't mind my repeating the French stamp, another Decaris, simply because I think it's so well done. And thanks for all the info.

Kris Rascher - You're welcome! I have found that recent editions of many popular stamp catalogues are useless for identifying designers and engravers. I generally rely on older editions of the standard catalogues and other reference books which I have purchased over the years, on specialized online resources for various countries, and on private correspondence with my philatelic friends.

Here are images of the two stamps in a set depicting refugees, and the uprooted oak tree emblem, designed (respectively) by Luxembourg artists Ben Heyart (1927-2009) and Frantz Kinnen (1905-1979), etched, screened, and printed by Joh. Enschedé, and issued by Luxembourg on April 7, 1960 to publicize World Refugee Year, Scott Nos. 357 & 358.

- nethryk

A man and a child knocking on a door seeking refuge.


"The Flight into Egypt."

By the end of its civil war, which took place in the 1990s, Tajikistan was in a state of complete devastation. The number of those killed was estimated at anywhere from 50,000 to as many as 100,000. Around 1.2 million people were refugees inside and outside the country. Much of the population was surviving on handouts from, for example the UNHCR. The UN established a Mission of Observers in December 1994, maintaining peace negotiations until the warring sides signed a comprehensive peace agreement in 1997. This set of se-tenent stamps says thank you. Before that Afghan refugees had fled the war with Russia to Tajikistan, now Afghan refugees are again fleeing to Tajikistan from Kabul.

The Red Crescent is the partner organization to the Red Cross. In 1968 Syria issued this commemorative for its work in aiding refugees. The Golan heights had been seized by Israel from Syria (1967); about 100,000 Syrians became refugees. The assistance of the Red Crescent is more necessary than ever before. (Photo in Syria this year)

In the early 1920s France took over Syria as a mandate; the following years saw fierce fighting between French and Syrian forces. The last French troops did not leave the country until 1946. The stamp depicts the ancient city of Palmyra. Reports these days say that this World Heritage site has now been destroyed completely. Since the overprint is in French: "Help for Refugees", as well as in Arabic, it most likely dates back to the 1920s. Anyone who knows more about it, please add.

The United Nations General Assembly declared June 20 as the World Refugee Day starting in the year of 2001.
On June 20, 2003 the UN Refugee Agency and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) set up a mock refugee camp in Oslo. The NRC invited all ninth-grade students in Norway to participate in an essay and poem competition with the theme, "Refugee Youth". In addition, The NRC worked with the Norwegian Post to launch a set of two stamps to mark the day.
The design of a smiling child holding bread is particularly heart-warming and conveys a sense of love and hope for the refugees.

Kuol, That's a great addition, and a great idea to make young people more aware. Denmark issued this stamp in 1986 calling attention to the plight of refugees. You'll notice that the word for refugee is the same in the two languages.

Here is the Jean Cocteau cover again, this time from Iceland