How To Help

UNHCR/A. McConnell

Unless you've been living in a cave, you're aware that the world is seeing its greatest humanitarian crisis since ... well, some say World War II, others say the Rwanda genocide in 1984. Whatever. While they may not be stumbling onto our shores, as citizens of the world, we cannot ignore these desperate people or their plight. The story told in charts and graphs: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911
    Europe, especially Germany, is doing its best to accommodate and help this wave of refugees, and for that, they are to be commended. I can only hope (and am pretty sure) that we Americans would respond as warmly were we in the same position. So. How can we help without becoming victims of unscrupulous individuals who may be trying to take advantage of the situation (because you know they're out there)? This list of agencies was put together by The Guardian and so is aimed mostly at its British readers. With the exception of one or two, though, the agencies listed are accessible to us here in the States as well: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/jul/25/syria-refugee-crisis-donate
   MoveOn.org is funneling donations through to the Lifeline cash assistance program of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. A gift of $141, they say, can provide a family of five with the basics it needs to survive for a month: https://civ.moveon.org/contrib/syrian_refugee.html?bg_id=hpc5&id=131652-18069185-NoZ2eKx&t=115
   More options, from SumOfUs ( http://action.sumofus.org/a/help-refugees/?akid=13276.1406099.P_hMhW&rd=1&t=19), includes buying items off an Amazon wish list put together to help Calais and Greece. I clicked on it and found this incredibly moving message: "NO MORE DONATIONS FOR THE TIME BEING PLEASE We are so grateful for the incredible number of donations we've received so far. It really shows how big a difference we can make together. We are freezing our wishlist until we are able to cope with the quantity of donations. In the meantime much more is needed so please keep giving here http://bit.ly/​1Ezl3AT to raise funds for logistics, building and medicine supplies. Thanks! And we will we back soon with more goods for the wish list. From the #HelpCalais Team"