Tens of thousands have fled Syria for the safety of Europe, and Europe is not prepared to receive them. Ongoing crises in Syria and other countries have contributed to the highest number of displaced people since the end of World War II.
Mercy Corps fights to improve US government foreign policy in order to ensure that assistance effectively reaches the most vulnerable people, including refugees displaced by the horrific war in Syria. Given that Congress is debating the budget for humanitarian assistance this fall, our organization recommends that the US send a firm message to the international community in support of the 60 million displaced people in the world today by prioritizing funding humanitarian assistance accounts in the upcoming funding bills.
Dear Member of Congress,
Tens of thousands have fled Syria for the safety of Europe, and Europe has not mobilized quickly enough to help them. Ongoing crises in Syria and other countries have contributed to the highest number of displaced people since the end of World War II. Recent attention focused on the tragic deaths of some of these refugees has shone a spotlight on the urgent need to aid and protect those caught in the crossfire and seek durable, humane solutions.
As the crisis in Syria enters its fifth year, it is more important than ever to ensure that US humanitarian assistance continues to support displaced people. Today, there are 7.8 million people internally displaced Syrians and 4 million refugees who have fled the country; they all remain in desperate need of assistance. We simply cannot afford to scale back our humanitarian assistance programs.
I am a constituent who cares about protecting these vulnerable populations and maintaining our commitment to humanitarian assistance. As Congress debates the FY 2016 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations and Agriculture Appropriations bills, I ask you to prioritize support to humanitarian accounts at no less than the following funding levels:
- $1.895 billion for USAID's International Disaster Assistance (IDA) Account that provides support for shelter, education and medicine for families internally displaced inside their own countries and impacted by natural and man-made disasters.
- $3.05 billion for the State Department's Migration and Refugee Assistance Account (MRA) that supports refugee populations around the world.
- $1.466 billion for the USAID’s Food For Peace Account that provides emergency food aid to hungry people around the world.
Thank you for supporting this request and ensuring that the US does not turn its back on the world's most vulnerable people.
Sincerely,
