Ben Stiller in Poland supporting Ukrainian refugees with UN High Commissioner

Derek Zoolander is taking time off the catwalk and making an impact.

Actor Ben Stiller is in Poland meeting with refugees from Ukraine as the Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“I’ve just arrived in Poland with UNHCR, to meet families whose lives have been torn apart by war and violence in Ukraine,” Stiller wrote on Instagram Saturday. “Millions have been forced to flee their homes, with over 90% being women and children. I’m here to learn, to share stories that illustrate the human impact of war and to amplify calls for solidarity.”

The “Severance” director and “Zoolander” actor has supported the U.N. Refugee Agency since early 2016 and served as a Goodwill Ambassador since July 2018.

Ben Stiller arrives at the premiere of "Severance" on April 8, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Ben Stiller arrives at the premiere of "Severance" on April 8, 2022, in Los Angeles.


Ben Stiller arrives at the premiere of "Severance" on April 8, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/)

He will be there for World Refugee Day on Monday, and has already met with some of the displaced, UNHCR said in a statement.

He expressed the hope that fans would follow along and express support for refugees not just from the war in Ukraine but also “for people who have been forced to flee all over the world,” he wrote. “Everyone has the right to seek safety. Whoever, wherever, whenever.”

Ukraine has been ensnared in the grip of war since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Thousands have been killed and millions have fled. The first major European land conflict in decades, the Russian invasion has sparked one of the fastest and broadest displacement crises since World War 2, according to UNHCR.

Near the Medyka border in Poland, Stiller met with families who had fled the war “leaving loved ones behind with no idea when they will be able to return home – or have homes to return to.”

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