U.S. to Welcome Additional Syrian Refugees

Already the leading donor to Syrian relief, the United States will accept more displaced Syrians in the coming year.

“The president has directed his team to scale up that number,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on September 10, “and he’s informed his team that he would like them to make preparations to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year [beginning October 1, 2015].”

Since the crisis began in 2011, the United States has been the largest single donor to Syrian relief, giving more than $4.1 billion in humanitarian assistance (PDF 384 KB).

United Nations appeals for Syrian relief remain 60 percent underfunded. This has meant cutbacks in food and essential services for Syrians in need. Contributions from other donors are urgently needed, and the U.S. continues to advocate for increased aid from the international community.

You can help. This site lets you contribute to organizations that provide displaced Syrians everything from food and shelter to psychological support for children traumatized by war.

The U.S. Agency for International Development also explains on its website how people can raise funds (PDF 7.9 MB) and donate goods (PDF 7.7 MB) to support disaster victims.

The United States has a long history of helping refugees in need. Since 1975, the U.S. has resettled nearly 3 million refugees fleeing violence and persecution around the world — more than all other resettlement countries combined.

Americans from all walks of life can help refugees resettle in the U.S. through a network of organizations and individual efforts.

Source: ShareAmerica