In October, a Refugees International (RI) colleague and I traveled to Turkey to revisit the issue of work permits and livelihood access for the 3.5 million refugees now living there – 3.2 million of whom are Syrians. As in previous missions, we interviewed Syrian refugees who had recently fled their war-torn homeland.
Mosul, Raqqa: The Humanitarian Crises Continue
Following the liberation of Raqqa, Syria from ISIS control, Daryl Grisgraber looks at the humanitarian needs of internally displaced people and of those who remained during the conflict. The physical and logistical obstacles to providing humanitarian aid may be fewer with the end of the fighting, but in a sense aid organizations are now playing catch-up with people whom they couldn’t previously serve adequately or at all.
Statement on the Liberation of Raqqa, Syria
Refugees International urges all forces and authorities in the newly liberated area to make the protection and rights of civilians their highest priority.
On the Killings of Seven Members of the Syrian Civil Defense (the White Helmets)
Refugees International expresses its outrage and deeply sadness with the news that seven members of the Syrian Civil Defense (the White Helmets) were killed in a recent attack.
Statement on Syrian Refugee Returns from Lebanon to Syria
Over the past week, hundreds of Syrian refugees have left the Aarsal region of Lebanon for Idlib governorate in northern Syria, and thousands more are expected to follow.
Pain and Anxiety for Refugees Stuck on the Greek Islands
While the Greek islands used to be places of transit where asylum seekers and migrants spent only days on their way to other European countries, as a result of an EU agreement with Turkey, thousands are stranded on Greece’s Aegean islands.
G20 Letter to President Trump on Syria
We write on behalf of 10 non-governmental organizations with experience and expertise on the ongoing crisis in Syria regarding your upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 meeting in Hamburg on July 7-8, 2017.
Humanitarian Concerns Should be at the Forefront of Erdoğan-Trump Meeting
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump prepare to meet in Washington, D.C. next week, Refugees International calls on both leaders to place humanitarian concerns at the forefront of their discussion of the Syrian conflict and their shared desire to defeat the Islamic State.
Statement on the Death of Eight White Helmet Volunteers
Refugees International is shocked and saddened to learn about the deaths this weekend of eight White Helmets volunteers in apparent Syrian government airstrikes.
RI Condemns the Chemical Attacks in Syria
Refugees International condemns today’s heinous chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria’s Idlib province.