Archive for category: Refugees

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Seattle Nonprofit Offers Training for Refugee Women

Training for Refugee Women
The struggles that face the increasing refugee population in the greater Seattle area continue to persevere. As these new residents search for employment, they are presented with language barriers, cultural differences and non-transferable professional degrees or certificates. Nonprofits like Muses are offering culpable training for refugee women.

Women from Afghanistan are often accustomed to contributing to their family’s well-being by the small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, jewelry and other handmade goods.

When these women arrive in the U.S., it is often difficult to translate their skills successfully into the job market.

Oftentimes, refugee families are in a financial position where both adult members of the household need to work. For many women, this is the first time they are faced with entering an official work environment, let alone one that follows the Western standard of living.

Sandrine Espie and Esther Hong realized back in 2012 the potential that refugees and low-income immigrants, women, in particular, had to contribute to the workforce.

They were inspired by the talents of these women and out of this inspiration came Muses. Muses is a Seattle-based nonprofit that aims to educate and provide these women with the skills necessary to enter the workforce.

Through research and interviewing, Espie and Hong found that there is a high demand for local, high-quality apparel manufacturing services. Their services aim to provide training for refugee women, enhancing their existing skills to aid them in finding a job.

Muses has also inspired other organizations in the area to pursue similar training programs.

World Relief Seattle, a non-profit that partners with the local church and focuses on refugee resettlement, has recently taken steps to begin a project specifically geared toward employment for Afghan women.

The program will ideally feature extensive orientation for women about work environments in the U.S. as well as instruction on using sewing skills to contribute to the financial security of their families.

In 1996, when the Taliban banned women in Afghanistan from working or attending school, the idea that women are less capable than men was ingrained into the eyes and minds of many people.

Through training programs for refugee women like Muses, women are gaining economic and personal empowerment and are learning to contribute to the sustainable market for handmade goods in Seattle.

– Peyton Jacobsen

Photo: Flickr

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Five Top Documentaries to Stream on Netflix

Five Top Documentaries to Stream on Netflix
Here are five top documentaries to consider adding to your watch list.

5. How to Change the World (2015)
This documentary discusses the creation of the modern environmental groups and the rise of Greenpeace. 1971–the Nixon Administration orders the third underground nuclear test on Alaska’s Amchitka Island, site a WWII U.S. Naval air facility. The remote island, once home to the world’s largest runway, was an ideal location for the U.S. government to conduct underground nuclear testing. The film follows Bob Hunter, “a hippy journalist from Vancouver” and Greenpeace founding member, during a sailing voyage to Amchitka Island to protest the atomic testing.

4. The True Cost (2015)
Number 4 of the top documentaries to stream on Netflix, The True Cost features a “behind the curtain” story revealing hard truths about the fashion industry’s production system. John Hilary, the executive director of the “War on Want” captures the essence of the film: “When everything is concentrated on making profits, what you see is that human rights, the environment, workers rights get lost.” Organizations like Clean Clothes Campaign, BRAC, Fashion Revolution and Greenpeace continue to advocate for reform in the fashion industry. The film seeks to educate the public in order to stir support for campaigns like Fashion Revolution’s mission to reform the fashion industry “which values people, the environment, creativity and profits in equal measure.”

3. The Square (2013)
Tahrir Square certainly has its place going back long into history; however, five years ago it was the site of protests and an Egyptian revolution. Protesters like Khalid Abdalla, the British-Egyptian actor and star of The Kite Runner, occupied the heart of Cairo to protest the current government regime. The documentary features footage shot by protesters that capture the intimacy of their struggle. It’s a story about a people yearning for their rights to be heard and to “create a society of conscience.” The Square received a 2014 Oscar Nomination for ‘Best Documentary’.

2. The White Helmets (2016)
The White Helmets features a story about hope in the war-torn nation of Syria. In a nation wrought with death and destruction, the White Helmets claim to have saved 62,000 lives. The film offers firsthand perspectives into the civil war in Syria, exposing its horrors but also sending a message that the altruism of the human spirit will never fail. Though a bid for the Nobel Peace Prize was unsuccessful, supporters are actively campaigning to raise the $1 million that would have been awarded to the White Helmet rescue workers. The money will go to “treat wounded volunteers and replace rescue equipment and ambulances that have been bombed.”

1. Poverty, Inc. (2014)
At number 1, Poverty, Inc. tells the story of the multi-billion dollar business of charitable giving. Through well-intentioned donations, the charity industry generates enormous profits for certain businesses but does not develop recipient nations to become self-reliant. Instead, the preponderance of aid leads to dependency. The documentary encourages “empowerment” in order to eliminate the mindset of dependency on foreign aid. Winner of 30 film festival honors, Poverty, Inc. tells an incredible story of hope and charts a general path toward finally eradicating extreme global poverty.

– Tim Devine

Photo: Flickr

Violence Fuels Honduran Refugees to Seek Asylum in the US

Violence Fuels Honduran Refugees
While many in the U.S. have begun focusing on the Syrian refugee crisis and the horrors committed by the Islamic State (IS) and the Assad regime, the U.S. still has a major refugee crisis along its southern border.

For decades, millions of migrants have traveled from South and Central America to the U.S. in search of better work opportunities and social benefits for themselves and their families. Recently, however, the migrant crisis has transformed into a refugee crisis, with many also traveling to the U.S. to escape the dangers of their home countries.

With the U.S. as the world’s biggest customer, a thriving drug market worth more than $300 billion has fueled the violence between gangs, each fighting for territory and the rights to sell drugs. In countries dictated by drug trades, government corruption also becomes inevitable, with police sometimes working hand in hand with gangs.

Especially in Honduras, these drug wars have displaced thousands, destroying neighborhoods and forcing their inhabitants to move north. Thousands of Honduran refugees have traveled to the U.S. in search of new lives.

In the past few years, however, U.S. investment in countries like Honduras has helped reduce violence. The American government has put money and resources into programs that dissuade youth from joining gangs and replenish impoverished neighborhoods.

Here are 10 facts about Honduras and Honduran refugees:

  1. One hundred and seventy-four thousand people, four percent of the country’s households, have been displaced because of violence.
  2. In 2011, Honduras was the murder capital of the world, with 91.6 murders per 100,000 people. In 2014, that number dropped to 66.
  3. In 2014, 18,000 unaccompanied Honduran children arrived at the U.S. border.
  4. This year, the U.S. has sent between $95 and $110 million in violence prevention funding to Honduras.
  5. In one pilot program, participants were deemed 77 percent less likely to commit crimes or abuse drugs and alcohol after a year of counseling, according to Creative Associates International.
  6. Because of fear and corruption, 96 percent of homicides do not end in a conviction in Honduras.
  7. There are about 23,000 gang members involved in police shootouts and turf wars daily.
  8. About 15,000 Hondurans applied for refugee status in 2015, double that of 2014.
  9. In 2014, 64.7 percent of unaccompanied minors received the asylum they applied for.
  10. For 2016, the U.S. has 3,000 refugee slots for applicants from Latin America and the Caribbean even though 9,000 people may be eligible.

While there is a lot of potential in the U.S. funded pilot programs, more money is necessary to enact change on a large scale. Although many may criticize the foreign aid the U.S. already gives as being too charitable, they must keep in mind the costs of receiving these refugees illegally and the cost of them making the journey north. By fixing the roots of the problem, the U.S. can prevent the symptoms from reaching its borders.

Because Honduras is filled with human rights violations, many would see the funding completely cut. This summer, government officials tried to pass a bill in Congress that would do so.

However, responding to the human rights issue by cutting funding to violence prevention may be most impractical and harmful. Although expensive, the best solution may be to continue funding violence prevention programs while beginning separate programs that address government abuse and corruption.

– Henry Gao

Photo: Flickr

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Ten Facts About Refugees in Egypt

Refugees in Egypt
Here are 10 quick facts about refugees in Egypt:

  1. In 2015, over 180,000 individuals were registered as refugees in Egypt with the United Nations Refugee Agency, over 117,000 of which were from Syria.
  2. In 2015, the United Nations Refugee Agency had a total budget of over $80 million dedicated to helping refugees meet their basic needs, receive health care and gain access to education.
  3. The large majority of refugees in Egypt reside in urban areas. About 60 percent live in the greater Cairo area.
  4. Only 18.1 percent of refugees have access to basic hygienic and domestic household items. Only 27 percent of refugee women have sanitary supplies.
  5. About 20 percent of refugees don’t receive primary health care services and 40 percent don’t receive secondary and tertiary health care services.
  6. Approximately 40 percent of refugee children have access to national child protection services and in 2015 there were 149 cases of child abuse.
  7. Between 75 and 80 percent of children are enrolled in either primary or secondary school.
  8. Only 31 percent of working age refugees receive at least minimum wage for more than six months out of the year.
  9. Around 85 percent of refugees are either severely or highly vulnerable socioeconomically.
  10. In 2015, over 3,000 refugees were arrested attempting to illegally cross into Europe by sea.

Egypt is not a final destination for many of these refugees, instead it’s a transit stop to other places such as Europe.

The challenging economic conditions in the country and increasingly anti-refugee policies of the government are pushing more and more refugees toward potentially dangerous and illegal smuggling trips into Europe. Improving the conditions of these refugees in Egypt is of paramount importance.

– James Long

Photo: Flickr

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Child Refugee Labor in Turkey: How Education Can Help

Refugee Labor in Turkey
In a recent investigation conducted by BBC Panorama and Reuters, thousands of Syrian children have been found working illegally in clothing factories such as ASOS and Mark & Spencer throughout Turkey.

As Turkey has served as the main entry point for refugees fleeing from the ongoing conflict in Syria, there has been an influx of approximately 3 million refugees to Turkey, 665,000 of whom are children.

Yet, a majority of the child refugees in Turkey have not been attending school. In many cases, children are not attending school due to the family’s immediate need for extra income.

According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, fewer than 15 percent of children between the age of six and 11 are currently in school.

Moreover, according to a study by the Migration and Politics Research Center at Hacettepe University in Ankara, a Syrian refugee working in Turkey is more likely to be a child than an adult.

Although adult Syrian refugees claim they earn between half or even a third of the hourly rate for the same work completed by Turks, Syrian children, in particular, have always been a cheaper labor source for employers.

Yet, it is difficult to estimate how many children are currently working illegally. According to a survey conducted in Istanbul by the Turkish charity, Support to Life, one in four households with children said at least one child was not in school because the family needed their earnings.

While the ongoing crisis of child refugee labor in Turkey has hindered providing a more stable education for displaced children, education is also the way to eliminate cases of child labor in the first place.

According to the International Labor Organization, it is a combination of economic growth, respect for labor standards, universal education and social protection that can significantly reduce cases of child refugee labor in Turkey.

The U.S. Department of Labor has also suggested that refugees with no access to education leave significant numbers at risk of exploitation of child labor.

Unfortunately, education has remained underfunded. In 2015, only 23% of the education category of the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan was funded. In addition, the U.N. Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Refugee Response Plan for Syrian refugees was funded at 46%.

A representative of the Migration and Politics Research Center said, “Most Syrian children have been out of school for four to five years, since the beginning of the conflict. This is a very long time for a child’s life. Its effects are irreversible. A lost generation is a risk society cannot afford.”

Especially in times of displacement, not only does education reduce child labor statistics but it serves as a crucial safe haven for children in their most vulnerable years.

Education fosters a sense of normalcy, social cohesion and addresses psychosocial needs of the children that the economy depends upon to thrive in the near future.

– Priscilla Son
Photo: Flickr

Ten Facts About Denmark Refugees and Their Ongoing Struggle

Denmark Refugees

Denmark is a tiny welfare state known around the world for its liberal values. A quick Google search on Denmark will likely yield articles on affluence and social equality. Denmark is the 23rd richest country in the world, with an average yearly household net-adjustable disposable income of $26,491 per capita. It is the sixth most expensive country to live in, yet it was voted the happiest country in the world in 2016. However, not everyone is happy.

Denmark refugees are exposed to a slew of hardships at the hand of the Danish government. With the recent influx of refugees, like many countries across Europe, Denmark has begun tightening the strings on its immigration policies.

Here are 10 facts about Denmark refugees that illustrate the changing legislation and resulting turmoil for its refugees.

  1. Following World War II, Denmark helped lead the way on issues like refugee protection, human rights and development aid.
  2. Since 1983, the Danish Aliens Act (DAA) has been amended more than 100 times. As of 2001, the DAA has been amended nearly once every two months. In 2015, Denmark received nearly 21,000 asylum seekers. This made the nation, whose total population averages 5.6 million, one of the leading receivers of refugees per capita across Europe.
  3. Denmark’s current refugees are predominantly from Asia, although Africa also contributes largely to those seeking asylum in the Scandinavian country.
  4. Denmark began adopting a stronger anti-immigration stance shortly after refugees started entering the country in 2015. The Danish government went as far as posting advertisements in Arabic and English in Lebanese newspapers advertising Denmark as an undesirable destination for incoming refugees.
  5. The ads in Lebanese papers warned readers that the country had cut welfare programs for refugees by 50% and that any refugees whose petitions were rejected would be kicked out “quickly”.
  6. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke suggested revising the 1951 Refugee Convention to be more restrictive in December 2015. Not only was Denmark integral in writing up this treaty, but it was also the first country to ratify it.
  7. In February 2016, Denmark’s legislative officials approved a law mandating that newly arrived refugees who enter the country with more than 10,000 kroner (roughly $1,450) in valuables must help fund their stay. While objects with sentimental value, like family heirlooms and wedding rings, are exempt from seizure, gold and jewelry are listed among assets that may be taken.
  8. In March, Denmark passed a bill restricting family reunification for Syrian refugees for up to three years.
  9. The new Denmark citizen test — which any refugee seeking citizenship will have to pass — is so difficult that, according to the Integration Ministry, over two-thirds of prospective new citizens who took it for the first time this past June failed. The test, which covers everything from Danish films and restaurants to local government and Viking history, is so difficult that even Danes have a hard time answering its questions.
  10. Since passing more restrictive legislation, Denmark has received record lows of Denmark refugees. The latest figures from the Scandinavian Ministry of Immigration show that only 36 foreigners asked for asylum from Aug. 22 to Aug. 28. This is an unprecedented low for 2016.

There has been an outcry from both the global and the Danish community at Denmark’s recent adoption of austere policies regarding immigration. However, the government seems to stand by its decisions, citing the safety of its people and maintaining economic stability as reasons for its increasingly strict actions. Luckily, many refugees are able to find asylum in other countries throughout Europe.

If you wish to partake in helping refugees from Syria and elsewhere, there are a plethora of credible groups to send donations, including U.N.’s International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Doctors Without Borders.

– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr

Ten Facts About Nauru Refugees

Nauru Refugees
Here are 10 facts about Nauru refugees:

  1.  Nauru refugees are not in Nauru by choice. Nauru refugees originally sought refuge in Australia. However, Australia was unwilling to provide them with care and forced 1,200 asylum seekers into a detainment center in Nauru. Nauru is only eight square miles, no larger than an international airport and already has a population of 10,000 people.
  2. The native Nauruans do not want the Nauru refugees there. The Nauru refugees are targeted by locals. Physical assaults against refugees happen regularly. What little property the Nauru refugees have is frequently broken or vandalized. Even refugee children are subject to these torments, making it difficult for them to concentrate or attend school.
  3. There are no legal services for the Nauru refugees. None of the Nauru refugees will become residents of either Nauru or Australia. The Nauru refugees are seeking refuge in fear of persecution in their home countries. However, the travel documents they have been issued confine them to Nauru for five years.
  4. The Nauru refugee crisis is being covered up. Nauru has banned foreign journalists in order to hide the poor treatment of refugees. The Australian government passed a law making it illegal for any employees, former or current, to disclose information on the conditions of the refugees. Despite these efforts, reporters find ways to interview refugees and former workers continue to come forward with their experiences.
  5. Nauru refugees came in search of liberty, only to become victims. Ali and his wife Khorvas are just one example of many. They left Iran because they believed in democracy. They sought to find a place where they would not be denied their human rights, but they only traded one confinement for another.
  6. The conditions the Nauru refugees live in do not meet U.N. standards. The tents each house 14 refugees and cannot weather the elements. Rain seeps in, heat and humidity are intensified, mold festers and pests easily infiltrate. The water supply is insufficient, resulting in dehydration or the consumption of unsanitary water. Waste management is not secure, allowing for cross-contamination.
  7. Sexual predators target Nauru refugee camps. Hawo, a Somalian, left her home country because of violence and sexual abuse towards women. Unfortunately, sexual exploitation of refugees is widespread. Men, including guards, force themselves onto women or expect them to barter sex for necessities. Reports of these incidents are not taken seriously.
  8. Health care for refugees is minimal. The Nauru hospital is small and lacks basic supplies. The majority of cases must be treated through abrupt transfers to Australia. The majority of medical transfers are due to mental health issues. Many refugees have been promised treatment that never comes. There is no screening of communicable diseases and no pediatric care in Nauru. Roughly 50 percent of the child refugees have latent tuberculosis. Immunization courses are never fully completed.
  9. Child refugees in Nauru are most at risk physically and mentally. There are no safety precautions set forth for children. Within the 2000 leaked records of reported abuse, there are records of sexually abused children, 59 physical assaults on children, 30 instances where a child has self-inflicted harm and 159 accounts of children threatening to self-harm.
  10. Many of the refugees have turned to suicide or self-inflicted harm. Refugees have taken to hunger strikes in hopes to improve their living situations. Omid Masoumali’s death was caught on cellphone video. Masoumali lit himself on fire, in protest to the conditions in where he was held. Benjamin, a 19-year-old who cut his wrists, said the Nauru refugees are a people living without hope.

Although no word has been given to close the Nauru Detainment Center, the second Australian Refugee Detention Center on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, is closing operations.

The Australian Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in April 2016. Recently, counselors from Save the Children, a nonprofit previously working on Nauru, bravely reported many of the abuses they witnessed but were bound by confidentiality not to reveal this.

In light of these revelations, it is hoped that the Nauru Detainment Center will also close, allowing the Nauru refugees to receive quality aid elsewhere.

– Amy Whitman

Photo: Flickr

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Citizens Fleeing Eritrea because of Poverty and Forced Labor

Fleeing EritreaSince 2012, one in every 50 Eritreans (nearly twice the ratio of Syrians fleeing from civil war) has sought asylum in Europe. According to the U.N., 5,000 Eritrean men and boys are leaving their families and fleeing Eritrea each month.

High Rates of Fleeing

The U.N. estimates that 400 thousand Eritreans, or nine percent of the population, have fled in recent years. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly one-quarter of the 132 thousand migrants arriving in Italy between January and September of 2015 were Eritreans.

Poverty in Eritrea is extreme. The CIA World Factbook reports the nation’s GDP purchasing power as $8.7 billion, ranking Eritrea 162nd in the world. Unemployment in the country is estimated at just 8.6%, but the poverty rate is estimated at 50%. More specific numbers are nearly impossible to acquire due to Eritrea’s secretive nature.

Reasons for Leaving

Why are people fleeing Eritrea? In June 2015, the UNHCR released a 500-page report detailing the systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations going on in Eritrea, violations that have created a climate of fear in which dissent is stifled. The report found that a large proportion of the population was being subjected to forced labor and imprisonment.

According to the report, the people of Eritrea are not ruled by law, but by fear. The Eritrean government denied repeated requests by the commission for information and access to the country. To gain insight into the situation, the commission conducted 550 confidential interviews with Eritrean witnesses in eight countries and received an additional 160 written submissions.

Conscription for 18 months is required of each Eritrean adult but is often extended indefinitely and carried out for years in harsh and inhumane conditions. Thousands of conscripts are subjected to forced labor that effectively abuses, exploits and enslaves them.

According to the UNHCR’s report, women conscripts are at extreme risk for sexual violence during national service. All sectors of the economy rely on forced service, and all Eritreans are likely to be subject to it at some point during their lives. The commission concluded that, “forced labor in this context is a practice similar to slavery in its effects and, as such, is prohibited under international human rights law.”

Mandatory conscription has not remedied poverty in Eretria. Instead, it has exacerbated it. Commission chair Sheila B. Keethrauth urged commitment from the international community to end the climate of fear in Eritrea.

“Rule by fear — fear of indefinite conscription, of arbitrary and incommunicado detention, of torture and other human rights violations — must end,” said Keethrauth.

– Aaron Parr

Photo: Flickr

Refugee Squats: Living Conditions of Refugees in Greece

Refugee Squats: Living Conditions of Refugees in Greece
An estimated 57,000 refugees are currently stuck in a midpoint stage in Greece — halfway between where they once were and to where they’re trying to get. Many refugees in Greece are living in what are known as “squats” with the help of local activists and other refugees.

There are seven major squats in the city of Athens where approximately 1,500 refugees have found an alternative to government camps that have extensive health and safety problems. Because government camps suffered from things such as scabies, knife fights, food poisoning, inadequate facilities, snakes and scorpions, local activists and refugees worked together to house the refugees in abandoned schools, hotels, apartment buildings and hospitals — or squats.

As many as 1,000 refugees per day were able to be smuggled by mafias on rafts, but since Macedonia, Hungary and Bulgaria built razor-wire fences along their southern borders, refugees cannot access the Eastern Mediterranean route. Now the flow of refugees has come to a halt; however, the refugees who were already en route to Europe when the EU made its deal with Turkey in March 2016 are confined within the borders of Greece and the Greek islands.

Refugees in Greece, who believed they would only be spending a season in the country, now have to make a life for themselves in Greece. With the help of volunteers, activists and other refugees, this is altogether possible for the refugees living in squats. There are a wide variety of volunteers assisting in different ways. Volunteers and refugees help with cooking, cleaning, translating and securing the area; providing language lessons, art classes and activities for children; and organizing group outings.

The success of the squats has been achieved autonomously, with no help from government aid and without donations from large nongovernment organizations — the squats only accept donations and assistance from independent volunteers, which are used to pay bills for electricity, water, food and medical supplies. These volunteers have made these squats a home for refugees, each squat having a distinct character that suits the residents.

Unfortunately, these squats are in danger of being shut down by the government due to public health risks. Squats in Thessaloniki have been closed, which resulted in a large number of homeless refugees living on the streets. The shutting down of squats places more pressure on those that are still running and the volunteers running them.

With the help of more donations and assistance, these squats can improve their conditions and continue to serve the needs of refugees. Refugees in Greece are not living in adequate conditions within government camps, and therefore, squats have been produced to provide a home and a loving community to the refugees.

– Kayla Mehl

Photo: Flickr

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Five Facts About Hunger in Syria

Hunger in Syria
After six years of continuous conflict and civil war, hunger in Syria has become a major crisis. Providing the necessary food aid for Syrians has become increasingly difficult as the danger escalates and the number of refugees multiplies.

Over 11 million Syrians have fled their homes to other Syrian cities or neighboring countries in search of safety. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are over 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees. As the conflict continues, the issue of hunger in Syria intensifies. Despite these difficulties, international organizations are doing everything they can to help Syrians in need. Here are five facts about the triumphs and challenges of hunger in Syria:

  1. According to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, 8.7 million people in Syria are food insecure.
    Food insecurity refers to the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient amount of affordable and nutritious food. Soaring food prices have only exacerbated the situation. Prices for bread, the cornerstone of the Syrian diet, have increased by more than 100% since 2014.
  2. The ShareTheMeal app has helped feed nearly 25,000 Syrians over the past year.
    The ShareTheMeal app allows participants to donate just $0.50 in order to feed a child for an entire day. Since November 2015, ShareTheMeal has provided Syrian refugee children and mothers with food support for an entire year.
  3. Food production in Syria has dropped by 40% since 2010.
    Nearly half of Syria’s population lives in rural regions. The war has destroyed agricultural infrastructure and irrigation systems, which has, in turn, decreased production. Wheat, in particular, has suffered dramatically from both the conflict and low rainfall.
  4. The World Food Program (WFP) is providing 240,000 Syrian children with nutrient supplements to prevent malnutrition.
    Child malnutrition can lead to stunting, disease and even death. In order to prevent undernutrition, WFP provides ready-to-eat, specialized nutritional products to thousands of Syrian children under the age of 5.
  5. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) has distributed food parcels to over 2.5 million people.
    SARC is one of the only organizations working in the entirety of Syria to provide humanitarian aid. Every month, SARC distributes food parcels and health care items to over three million people in need.

Although it will take $86.5 million this year to assist the nearly three million people in need who remain in the country, hunger in Syria can be diminished. WFP, UNHCR and their partners have taken great strides to accomplish this goal. With an increase in the International Affairs budget, the U.S. can also help save the lives of millions of Syrians suffering from hunger.

– Kristyn Rohrer

Photo: Flickr