Rich— As I write to you today, more than 50 million refugees and displaced people are struggling to survive. This staggering statistic—and this unprecedented humanitarian crisis—exceed anything we have seen since World War II. These are people who need our support—now, more than ever. Make a donation today to help us exceed our online goal of $3.3 million by December 31. Give now and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 by generous friends of the IRC. DONATE NOW AND DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT › Right now, the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues to rise. Iraqi and Syrian mothers and children, uprooted by violence, are living in schools and makeshift shelters. And the people of South Sudan are confronting the worst food crisis in the world. Our dedicated staff provides critical assistance in each of these crisis zones, and in many others. We go to the most dangerous places in the world, in the most difficult of circumstances, to help people survive the worst moments of their lives—and to build better futures. Recently in Iraq, I met with people who had fled the violence in Syria. Many shared stories of being separated from loved ones and having to leave everything behind. One woman was deeply distraught because she could not find her 12-year-old son. She told me he had been at school when militants attacked their village and that he was seen among those running from the chaos. But she had no way of knowing if her son was safe. Fortunately, the IRC operates a family reunification project and, in partnership with other organizations, we were able to locate the boy and return him to his mother. DONATE NOW AND DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT › Without the generosity of IRC supporters, our staff on the ground would not be able to reach more than 2 million civilians under siege inside Syria—as well as hundreds of thousands of refugees now living in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey—providing them with shelter, health care and protection services. In South Sudan, the IRC depends on your support to reach more than 700,000 people with vital services, including emergency medical care for children. And in West Africa, we rely on your compassion to help us combat the spread of Ebola with protection for health care workers, contact tracing and community awareness programs. But to continue carrying out such indispensable work in these crisis zones, as well as many other life-changing interventions in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, the IRC must have partners like you. Please donate now and help us continue providing lifesaving assistance around the world. Your gift today will go twice as far to help families caught in crisis. Thank you for being here for humanity. Sincerely, Sandra Mitchell Sandra Mitchell Vice President, International Programs International Rescue Committee
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 00:43:40 +0000