Refugees

Thanks to your support immediately following the Syria earthquake, UNRWA provided thousands of affected refugees with: – Clean water, blankets, and hygiene kits – Mobile clinics for the injured in Neirab Camp – Shelter in UNRWA’s Al-Khairiyeh School – Hundreds of food assistance packets – Trauma counselling for refugee children But our work is far from done.

Ian Zdanowicz left Poland 14 years ago to escape the homophobia and transphobia in his homeland. “Especially as a trans person and as an immigrant it takes time to rebuild your life in a foreign place and culture,” says Ian. “It can be really scary and very lonely.” His search for community in the United States led him to the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP) where he first became a member, then a volunteer, then a staff member, until eventually becoming co-director of the organization. “Working at QDEP allows me to provide immediate support to newly arriving queer and trans immigrants hoping that they don’t have to do all that work from scratch to find their people and resources that they need,” says Ian. “We do our best to make sure that new members feel that they have a community here and that we have each other’s backs no matter…

Despite being a diligent student and a passionate learner, Basma*, 11, was forced to leave school because of the conflict in Syria. When she was in the second grade, Basma witnessed bombardment during a school day. After that she spent the remainder of the school year in a makeshift school in a basement.

Refugees International has advocated for the rights and safety of the Rohingya people since the 1990s. In 2020, we launched our #CallitGenocide campaign, urging the U.S. government to make a determination that the crimes the Myanmar military committed against the Rohingya people in 2017 amounted to genocide. In March of 2022, the U.S. government made this important determination. The determination bolsters international support and accountability and is a solid sign of commitment to justice for all the people who continue to face abuses by the military junta to this very day. In 2022, Refugees International also campaigned for the passage of the BURMA Act, which would enact steps to hold the Myanmar military accountable and get much-needed humanitarian aid to the region. In December 2022, thanks in part to Refugees International’s advocacy, Congress included large parts of the BURMA Act in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 (NDAA). Also…

At the Refugee Accommodation Center in Moldova, four-year-old Eva joins Medical Teams International’s “kindergarten sessions.” These sessions provide psychological support and are held twice a week for children to deal with the trauma from war through child-friendly discussions and play. Eva and her family escaped from their home in Ukraine after airstrikes targeted the surrounding area. Eva’s mom describes her delight in attending, “Eva is always the first one to arrive to her kindergarten sessions here. Whenever the downstairs door opens and she hears Medical Teams walk in, she’s already running and jumping. It’s her absolute highlight.”

Islam receives treatment after an airstrike kills members of her family. (Photo credit: Save the Syrian Children) Islam was at home when the bombs from the planes hit. After the first airstrike, her house collapsed on her and her family. Pinned under the rubble, she recalls hearing her mother screaming in agony – also under heavy debris. More airstrikes targeting the community followed. As her throat filled with dust, Islam realized her mother was no longer screaming. Although she survived the airstrike, she later learned that her mother had perished. The rescue of Islam as posted by Save the Syrian Children, here. Mohammed’s Story Four-year-old Mohammed was playing on the street, as children do. Suddenly he and his brother heard the blaring sound of sirens alerting them of incoming Russian and Syrian regime airplanes. Mohammed and his brother made the fateful decision to carry on their games outside. Not long…