Right now, the House of Representatives and the Senate are making decisions on how much money will be spent on foreign aid in the coming year - including lifesaving humanitarian assistance programs for Syrian refugees and some of the world's most vulnerable populations.
More people around the world are displaced by conflict now than at any other time in the last 18 years - including almost nearly 7 million affected by Syria's ongoing civil war. But despite that, the House of Representatives proposes slashing 40% from last year's spending for internally displaced people and 29% for refugees.
Fight for Syrian refugees - tell your Representative to save humanitarian aid.
Dear [Representative,]
With more people around the world displaced by conflict than at any other time in the last 18 years, we simply cannot afford to scale back our humanitarian assistance programs. Needs are particularly acute, and the ongoing crisis in Syria has already strained humanitarian accounts. In Syria alone, the crisis has displaced and affected millions of citizens, and neighboring countries face economic and political challenges resulting from the steady flow of refugees straining their infrastructure and basic service capacity.
[Your comment will be added here]
I am a constituent who cares about protecting these vulnerable populations and maintaining our commitment to humanitarian assistance. As Congress debates the FY 2014 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, I ask you to prioritize support to humanitarian accounts and include the Senate funding levels for the following accounts in any final conference agreement or Continuing Resolution:
- $2.9 billion for the State Department's Migration and Refugee Assistance Account (MRA) that supports refugee populations around the world.
- $1.6 billion for USAID's International Disaster Assistance Account that provides global support for shelter, education and medicine for families internally displaced inside their own countries and impacted by natural and man-made disasters.
Thank you for supporting this request and ensuring that the US does not turn its back on the world's most vulnerable people.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
