The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has announced that it will be kicking off its global refugee campaign in Kuala Lumpur this Sunday.

The Step with Refugees campaign, it explained, is aimed at raising awareness of the long, hard journies refugees have to take to seek safety.

The campaign will kick off with an event, Step With Refugees Challenge, slated to take place at the Publika Shopping Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.

“This global campaign came about when UNHCR traced the journeys of refugees around the world and calculated that collectively, refugees travel approximately two billion kilometres every year to reach the first point of safety.

“The campaign invites people to act in solidarity and run, walk, cycle... to achieve a cumulative total of two billion kilometres by end 2020,” UNHCR said in a statement today.

Participants can use their fitness apps or log on to the campaign website to enter kilometres tracked. These will contribute to a global total.

The agency added the Malaysia kickoff will be led by a series of workout classes which will track the number of steps taken by participants.

“Beyond this, the campaign also broadly encourages people to support refugees through individual acts of solidarity, including extending friendship, camaraderie, and compassion for refugees. 

"These acts, when taken together, acknowledge the resilience and strength of refugees,” it added.

UNHCR also partnered with Art Battle Malaysia to organise a live painting competition with ten refugee youth artists from the art collective Canvassing For Confidence.

Art Battle is a timed live art competition event which has been held around the globe.

Other events taking place during the launch include performances by refugee students from Fugee School and a bazaar. 

Admission is free and details can be sought on the event Facebook page.