How can you help refugees? A few practical ways, starting today
Posted on: September 4, 2015
How can you help refugees? A few practical ways, starting today
Number of refugees has tripled from the beginning of this year (about 310,000), many of them are fleeing the ravaged Syria under ISIS control.
13 million kids are out of schools in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya.
9,000 schools are Not used as schools.
A new report from the United Nations refugee agency says that more than 2,500 migrants and refugees have died or gone missing this year while crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Joanna Choukeir Hojeily shared a link.
Here are some of the ways you can help at home.
Refugee children sleep in the surrounding green area of the Keleti railway station in Budapest
Make a donation
Most donations are not ending for refugees support
Make a financial donation to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is doing related humanitarian work overseas. These could include:
● Save the Children: distributing essential items such as nappies, hygiene kits and food
● Red Cross Europe: providing emergency health services at central train stations
● Migrant Offshore Aid Station: dedicated to preventing migrant deaths at sea
● International Rescue Committee: improving living conditions by setting up camps
● The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): providing water, mosquito nets, tents, healthcare
● Refugee Action: advice about claiming asylum, the asylum process, asylum support
● World Vision: providing food, water, shelter, education and psychosocial care
A displaced Syrian child is viewed in a makeshift camp for Syrian refugees only miles from the border with Syria in the Bekaa Valley
Get involved with grassroots groups
JustGiving has received more than 2,500 donations from 32 countries for Calais migrant fundraising efforts. Here are just a few of them:
● The Worldwide Tribe in Calais: Travel blog documenting the story of the people in the Calais ‘jungle’ is also connected to a crowdfunding site
● Glasgow Solidarity with Calais Migrants: Diane and Bob are driving to Calais with supplies
● North East Solidarity with Calais Refugees: Buying food, bedding and warm clothing
● Side by Side: A family in Thurrock helping with basic humanitarian aid
● Association Salam: 19-year-old Tom McElholm is driving to Calais with supplies
● Hummingbird Project: Driving regularly to Calais with nurses, legal aid, food kitchens
● Coach and Horses Soho: raising £5,000 to give the Calais migrants a decent meal
4 million Syrians have fled their country since the war began
Volunteer, donate, collect
● Calais Migrant Solidarity: organising aid from the UK to those stranded in Calais.
Includes details to find local groups for clothes collections and donations here and a UK-based Facebook group
● Doctors of the World: providing care to vulnerable people, advocating for rights to health
● Music Against Borders: appealing for people to donate musical instruments to Calais
● The Jungle Library: makeshift library set up at the camp at Calais. They need more books
● ‘Childhood bags’: fundraising to take books, toys and warm clothes to children
● Folkestone United: organising protests, taking donated goods to Calais in September
● Avaaz.org: lobbying local councils, providing language support, housing refugees
● Migrant Offshore Aid Station: dedicated to preventing loss of life at sea
● Sawa4Syria: working with Syrian refugees in Lebanon
A girl holds a balloon and a teddy bear in a holding area at Munich Hauptbahnhof main railway station on 1 September
Buy specific items for those who need help
● An Amazon wish list has been set up for people to buy specific items such as shoes and sleeping bags to be delivered to Calais as part of the appeal #KentforCalais and #HelpCalais. The truck leaves on 17 September
Germany has been more welcoming to refugees
Put your name to a petition
● The Independent’s petition for Britain to accept its fair share of refugees (More than 150,000 already signed up)
● Accept more asylum seekers and increase support for refugee migrants in the UK
● 80 Syrian war refugees are waiting in Calais for their rightful and legal asylum in the UK
● Create a compassionate Euro-wide policy to deal with refugee migrants
Note: As you can see from these lists, they are mostly concerned with the Calais crisis.
Update this list with those organization targeting the Syrian and Iraqi refugees who are badly neglected
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