Refugees International Honors the Life of Former President Lionel Rosenblatt
Statement from Refugees International:
“Refugees International mourns the passing of our former president, Lionel Rosenblatt, who died on April 11 after a long battle with cancer. We extend our deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Ann, and to all who knew and loved him.
Lionel was a towering figure in the history of Refugees International. His decade of leadership during the 1990s helped shape the organization into a respected and influential voice in humanitarian and refugee policy. He brought to Refugees International not only extraordinary vision, but also a lifetime of experience and moral courage forged during a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of State.
Among his many remarkable contributions, Lionel was known for his principled defiance in the face of bureaucracy – most notably when he defied orders and helped facilitate the evacuation of Vietnamese embassy staff during the fall of Saigon. When the State Department found out, he was called into then-secretary Kissinger’s office – but instead of being scolded as he had expected, he was rewarded. Offered his pick of posts at State, he opted to continue working on refugee issues. That moment reflected a defining characteristic of his life’s work: a willingness to act decisively in defense of people at risk – even at a potential personal or professional cost – and a deep commitment to the rights of refugees.
Under Lionel’s leadership, Refugees International conducted fierce advocacy during a period marked by some of the most consequential humanitarian crises of the late twentieth century, including the wars in the Balkans, the Rwandan genocide, famine in Somalia, and conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chechnya, and Sudan/South Sudan. He ensured that the organization not only bore witness to these crises, but played a meaningful role in shaping the global response.
Lionel’s influence extended well beyond the organization itself. His relationships and advocacy helped connect policymakers to the realities on the ground in conflict zones. Notably, his role in bringing Richard Holbrooke into besieged Sarajevo became part of a chain of events that would later influence U.S. engagement in Bosnia and the eventual Dayton Peace Accords – a powerful example of how principled action can reverberate at the highest levels of policy.
Lionel was part of a generation of leaders who helped define and strengthen the modern humanitarian system. His deep commitment to our mission meant that even after he completed his tenure at Refugees International, he remained closely engaged – continuing to follow Refugees International’s work, advocate for refugees in Southeast Asia, and offer kind notes of encouragement to our team.
We are profoundly grateful for Lionel Rosenblatt’s life, leadership, and legacy. His impact will endure in the countless lives he helped protect and the enduring mission of Refugees International.”
Testimonies about Lionel
We will be honoring Lionel’s legacy and welcome reflections and stories from those whose lives he touched. To submit your own reflections, please contact Madison Cullinan at mcullinan@refugeesinternational.org.
“I met Lionel for the first time in Central Bosnia in the winter of 1992… I remember the fierce Balkan winter was starting, it was terribly cold, and there were thousands of refugees flooding out of Jajce, which had just fallen to Bosnian Serb forces. They had nothing but the clothes they had fled in – some were wearing their bedroom slippers in the mud and the snow.
I spent months taking their testimonies, hearing their stories, and spending time with these people who had lost everything. Lionel was there, too, and what I remember the most is his incredible generosity towards a much-younger and far less experienced colleague. He took the time to explain to me how RI worked, and what they were doing on the ground. He left a lasting impression on me, and over the years I would see him in various war zones and humanitarian crises. He was a true humanitarian, but what impressed me the most was his true kindness.”
– Janine di Giovanni, CEO, The Reckoning Project
“Lionel was a mentor to so many in the humanitarian field. He certainly was to me. On a visit to Cambodia in 1999, Lionel brought me to Mondulkiri province to experience first-hand the work of Refugees International in the field. He empathized with Cambodian refugees returning from the Thai border where they had been for more than 20 years, made sure they were returned their plot of land and had seeds and other staples to start up their lives again. That led to my 20-year involvement with RI.
Lionel was a force of nature who did not always play by the book but saved countless lives as a result. While he encouraged many others to follow in his footsteps, no one will ever be able to fill his shoes.”
– Eileen Shields-West, emeritus board member and former board chair, Refugees International
“Lionel and I first met at the Thai Cambodia border. He procured a mine detector for me to find mines around our camp. He introduced me to Holbrooke who I told to put his camera away since the ICRC did not allow photos in the camps. We became close friends when we got back home. He came to my 40th birthday party when we had 3 members of the order of the White Elephant in our living room at one time! My daughter and I visited his Llama farm in West Virginia and helped clean out the barn. We will all miss him.”
– Jim Cobey, emeritus board member, Refugees International
“I met Lionel when he worked briefly as a political consultant at the Sawyer-Miller Group in the late 80s after leaving DoS and before RI. I went on a few missions for RI in the ’90s sometimes with Lionel and sometimes not including Jordan, Turkey/Kurdistan and most memorably Sarajevo with Joan Baez on her first trip there. I have lots of anecdotes about Lionel, but one I thought I would pass on: Lionel told me he always wore a mustache since the days in Saigon in 1975 when he was hiding out from the South Vietnamese police and the U.S. Embassy. Years later he said, ‘I realized that if I ever have to go on the run again the quickest way to change my appearance is to have a mustache to shave off.’ Whether true or apocryphal, it’s a great story that sums him up very well.”
– Zaab Sethna, FocusPoint Private Capital Group
“Lionel’s heart, mind and whole being laser focused on refugees and internally displaced civilians. Early in my research for my book, “Disposable People?”, Sheppie introduced me to Lionel who immediately determined I needed to meet with Sue Morton, who brought me into RI and into the world and work of advocacy. At the time of the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Lionel was at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok where Sue and Charlie were living. Sue, distressed by the pushback of many Khmer into Cambodia and to certain death, met with Lionel, who facilitated a time for Sue to testify before a congressional committee on behalf of the Khmer and leading subsequently to the birth of RI. Both Lionel and Sue and those gathered around them in RI’s early days ensured the planting of deep roots for solid growth.
I hold many memories of Lionel, but two are imprinted solidly. One is that of his travels to Chechnya in search of Fred Cuny. There, as in every thing he did, Lionel gave his all. Burned into my memory too is the very distinct manner in which Yvette Pierpoli pronounced “Lionel.” It was utterly distinctive, beautiful and caring, just as both Yvette and Lionel always were in whatever they undertook. It is thanks to Lionel, RI and Ken Bacon through my privileged engagement with RI that today I focus my work on climate displacement and caring for creation in a changing climate.
I think of Lionel now among masses of people he helped who have opened their grateful arms and hearts to Lionel as he settles into the world of new life that follows our earth bound death. Each grateful one who welcomes him, experienced at one time the depth of his humanity and his constant attention to the prophetic word and imagination. May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing and may God place loving arms around dear Ann.”
– Judith Mayotte, emeritus board member, Refugees International
“I met Lionel in 1996 at Refugees International, as a young European who had just returned from Goma. He took one look at me and said: “I need you to go to Kigali in two weeks.” He became my mentor, teaching me everything about effective advocacy and arming me with principles and values that remain central to my work 30 years later.
His mantra was “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
His life’s daily purpose was to make things better for displaced people and refugees everywhere in the world. Nothing was ever impossible; nothing was ever more urgent.
Three (of countless) memories I will never forget with Lionel:
- Briefing Julia Taft while she smoked a cigarette at the General Assembly in Geneva in 1998, on the conditions of Sierra Leonean refugees.
- Writing to Kofi Annan about his peacekeeping forces’ reports never reaching New York.
- Hosting an event at my house for Rohingya refugees. A guest offered her home in the Hamptons to Lionel and the four Rohingyas with him — and they all ended up sleeping in the car, uncertain which house was hers.
I will treasure forever the regular calls we shared over 30 years — the last one in October 2025 — his warm voice, his advice, his encouragement. He leaves this world a great man, having stood up for others and fought for them until his very last breath.”
– Natacha Weiss, emeritus board member, Refugees International
“The refugee world has lost two titans in the space of a couple of weeks with Gene Dewey’s and now Lionel Rosenblatt’s passings. I learned so much from both of them — the 101 of humanitarian diplomacy and how to effect change from the most intransigent leaders; deep humility addressing the appalling consequences for the world of not protecting the dispossessed; and courage — to lead, to defy when it mattered, and to care deeply about the people we serve and our teams who are on the frontlines to deliver.
Will never forget receiving Lionel in Bangladesh in 1992 when I was a young professional on secondment with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency — even then he was investing in the next generation of advocates, imploring a multilateral organization in which he strongly believed but pushed daily to hold up the 1951 convention and the foundation of international refugee protection. May they both rest in eternal peace and may the world see more of that peace in the years to come.”
– Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees