Spring 2020 Newsletter

SPRING 2020

the IRC at work

Cover Image To Come

SPECIAL REPORT

The Meaning of Welcome Together, we are helping asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

1 | Spring 2020

SEE PAGE 4

OUR IMPACT

FROM DAVID MILIBAND, IRC PRESIDENT AND CEO

In one year, the IRC and our partners in the U.S. helped:

Living By Our Ideals

2,175

children and parents seeking asylum in the U.S.

5,374

refugees and Special Immigrant Visa recipients to resettle in the U.S.

9,127

Dear Friends, When introducing the United States Refugee Act in 1980, then Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph A Califano, Jr. said that by accepting refugees: “We reveal to the world — and more importantly to ourselves — whether we live by our ideals or simply carve them in monuments.”

With more displaced families than ever before, living out these ideals is exceedingly important.

people with economic empowerment programs.

5%

� Management & General

8%

� Program Services

87%

Timothy F. Geithner, Sally Susman CO-CHAIRS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eduardo Mestre CHAIR, OVERSEERS

David Miliband PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

The IRC at Work is published for friends and supporters of the IRC. COVER: Alex Cruz, 21, works as a shelter specialist at the IRC's Welcome Center for asylum-seeking families in Phoenix, Arizona.

Maria, 7, in the Ropa Room (clothing room) at the IRC Welcome Center in Phoenix, Arizona. At the IRC Welcome Center, the IRC and its local partners are providing clothing, food, water, basic medical assistance and more to families seeking asylum in the U.S.

INSIDE COVER:

© International Rescue Committee, 2020

Rescue.org

2 | Spring 2020

Displaced families often leave in a hurry and can only bring a few items from home. In interviews with the IRC, several asylum seekers shared that among their possessions are a rosary, barrette and a small toy. The heartbreaking reality of the situation comes through in their stories and photos. “The most important thing I wanted to bring was my children,” one mother told us.

Here at the IRC, the reunion of families is always cause for celebration. We recently had such an occasion in Idaho, where a Congolese family who had been separated (and spent 15 years in refugee camps) were brought back together. At the airport, family members shook hands joyfully and embraced one another. Their reunion was long overdue and had been rescheduled four times due to the Trump administration’s policies.

THE IRC’S EFFICIENCY � Fundraising

interview appointments with U.S. authorities, answers any questions they might have and works with their sponsors in the U.S.

In this edition of the IRC At Work, you will read the heroic stories of recently resettled refugee families, asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border and the people who help these individuals.

This includes families like Marta’s, who were aided by our Welcome Center in Phoenix. After fleeing gang violence in southern Mexico, Marta, her husband, Julio, and their three young children arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The family was finally able to get help and feel safe thanks to the IRC. We immediately gave them beds, warm blankets, clothing, food and toiletries.

Marta was then guided by IRC specialist Alex Cruz, who exemplifies the IRC’s values. Alex is a champion for these families, and works day in and day out to help them. She gives asylum seekers key information for court dates and

Despite a cultural narrative that has become increasingly hostile to refugees, we are committed to living out our ideals of empathy, respect and dignity.

There is no greater honor than to serve these families.

As always, I welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

Please feel free to email me at David.Miliband@Rescue.org.

All the best,

David Miliband President and CEO International Rescue Committee

CRISIS WATCH

Emergency Watchlist 2020 As conflicts continue, these countries are most at risk.

The International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Watchlist 2020 highlights the countries at greatest risk of experiencing the worst humanitarian crises in the coming year.

For the second year in a row, Yemen remains the country most at risk of catastrophe, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Nigeria and Venezuela. This year’s list has changed little from the previous year, demonstrating the collective failure of the international community to resolve the root causes of these humanitarian disasters.

“Truly the Age of Impunity has arrived,” says David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC. “70.8 million people are displaced worldwide. Armed conflict, growing disregard for international humanitarian law amidst a crisis of global leadership means the dangers in 2020 are growing not receding.”

Countries currently on the list disproportionately host populations in need of humanitarian aid and are among the least equipped to respond to new crises or deteriorating conditions.

These countries are home to just over 10 percent of the global population, but host 80 percent of all people in need. However, their collective appeals for humanitarian aid remain severely underfunded.

ABOVE: Maryan, 23, is a Community Health Worker in Korsan District. She has worked with thousands of children since beginning her work for IRC.

take long-term approaches, re-engage their diplomatic muscle to prevent and resolve conflict, and reinvigorate their support of international humanitarian law and accountability for those who violate it. Otherwise, the consequences of these humanitarian crises—massive displacement, women and girls at risk of violence, widespread hunger, demolished health systems, a lost generation of children with no chance of education — offer no hope of abating.”

Here are the top 10 countries most at risk of experiencing the worst humanitarian crises over the coming year:

1. Yemen 2. The Democratic Republic of Congo 3. Syria 4. Nigeria 5. Venezuela 6. Afghanistan 7. South Sudan 8. Burkina Faso 9. Somalia 10. Central African Republic

“Across the globe, the scale of need in 2020 is also likely to stretch resources beyond their limit,” says Miliband. “It’s vital that we do not abandon these countries when they need us most, and that governments around the world step up funding to these anticipated crises before more lives are lost — and the bill for humanitarian catastrophe rises.”

Most of the humanitarian crises in these countries have similar themes, including major conflict, droughts and flooding, disease outbreaks, and restrictions of humanitarian access for delivering help.

“As humanitarians, we can prevent the dying, but it takes politics to stop the killing,” says Miliband. “Humanitarian actors like the IRC will continue to respond with lifesaving aid. But to truly address these challenges, it is vital that the international community

ABOVE:

An IRC mobile health clinic provides integrated health, reproductive health and nutrition services in Yemen.

Spring 2020 | 3

SPECIAL REPORT

A Safe Haven: IRC’s Welcome Center in Phoenix Asylum-seeking families find safety, support and hope with the IRC.

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Marta fled southern Mexico with her husband and three young children after receiving anonymous death threats.

4 | Spring 2020

ABOVE:

Miguel at the IRC Welcome Center in Phoenix, Arizona in the Ropa Room (clothing room). In the Ropa Room, families seeking asylum can find new clothes, shoes, undergarments and more.

In Phoenix, Arizona, the IRC and its local partners are providing food, water, basic medical assistance, legal counseling, clothing and overnight shelter to people who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border to seek safety.

Since its opening last summer, the IRC Welcome Center has helped more than 600 asylums seekers.

One of those asylum seekers is Marta, a mother from southern Mexico who fled dangerous gangs with her husband and young children.

It was a Saturday when gang members broke into Marta’s house. They left a machete on the table and followed up with threatening messages. “She couldn’t sleep because she was scared,” Marta said of her 7-year-old daughter, Maria, before they left home.

“She cried every night.”

The family packed the essentials and got on a bus to Tijuana.

When Marta and her husband and three young children fled to the United States

for safety, they were detained at the border.

They were finally released and went to a Welcome Center in Phoenix run by the IRC. At the Welcome Center, Marta could see the difference in her children. She beamed watching her one-year-old daughter Luna color peacefully, while Maria looked for a warmer jacket in the ropa (clothing) room. The ropa room is where families can find new clothes and shoes, as well as toiletries, baby supplies and books to read.

The IRC helped Marta and her husband Julio get in touch with their sponsor in the U.S. Family specialist Alex Cruz recorded their basic information and U.S. contacts in order to facilitate travel arrangements. Alex also told them what they needed to know about court dates and interview appointments with U.S. authorities.

“We are so thankful," Marta said. “[The help] was overwhelming and it really meant so much to us.”

At the center, Marta’s family received care at the nurse’s office. All of her children, Maria, Miguel and Luna, received a check-up and medication to treat mild colds. For urgent medical needs, the IRC takes asylum seekers to a local hospital.

The IRC also gave the family a safe place to sleep. Families waiting to receive their bus or plane tickets are able to stay overnight at the Welcome Center, where they are given a bed, warm blankets and snacks. The IRC then provides transportation to bus stations and the airport.

One of the highlights for Marta was watching her children enjoying books. She felt hopeful about the future seeing Miguel and his sister Maria reading Spanish-language stories with an IRC family specialist. Marta says the children missed a few years of school because of the violence in their hometown. “They are really smart kids,” Marta says. “I want them to go back to school.”

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REBUILDING LIVES

Only the Most Important Things What asylum seekers carry with them to America.

"The water was scary. I was holding my mom and Peppa."

Peppa, a trusty pink stuffed piglet, is one of five-year-old Lisa’s most cherished possessions. Today, it is one of her only possessions. The scary water of Lisa’s memory was a river that she and her mother crossed when they were fleeing their home in Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S. One day, Lisa’s mother told her to pack quickly, but just the most important things. As gang violence and threats escalated, life in Mexico had become too dangerous to handle.

Peppa would brave the long journey by bus, by foot and across rushing river waters alongside Lisa and her family, but most of their life would be abandoned. They could only bring what they needed to survive the journey — and a few precious reminders of home.

What Lisa packed: • Sequined mermaid bag • Favorite bracelets • Frozen toy • Peppa the piglet • Clothes What Lisa’s mother, Luisa, packed: • Bible • Rosary • Prayer book • Blessed handkerchief • Medicine for her daughter • Personal documents • Wallet • Cellphone • Clothes What Lisa’s Aunt Elisa packed: • Bible • Rosary • Cellphone • Barrette • Clothes What Lisa’s cousins, Rosa, 8, and Luis, 6, packed: • Sofia, a green stuffed frog • Two backpacks of clothing • Legos • Toy keychain • Toy car

After being detained at the border for a few days, Lisa and her family were taken to the IRC Welcome Center in Phoenix. Here the IRC provided Lisa and her family with medical assistance, legal counseling and basic necessities.

The family was overwhelmed by the warm welcome they received. They were given new clothes, food and the opportunity to shower — for the first time since fleeing their home. With the IRC, Lisa and Peppa and her whole family could finally feel safe.

Above: 5-year-old Lisa arrived at the IRC Welcome Center in Phoenix, Arizona with the Peppa Pig doll she received as a gift from her mom, a sequin bag with her favorite bracelets and toy from the movie “Frozen.”

Below: Luisa arrived at the IRC Welcome Center in Phoenix, Arizona with a bag of clothes, a Bible, a rosary, a wallet, her phone and other special mementos. She traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border via bus, which took two days, and then crossed a river.

“We weren’t treated this way when we first arrived [at the border],” says Luisa. “We are very grateful for the IRC.”

STORIES OF HOPE

Their Struggle is Bigger Than Mine 21-year-old refuses to turn her back on asylum seekers.

“Have lots of faith and strength. We’re here to help.”

21-year old Alex Cruz comforts a mother who has begun to cry. The woman feels overwhelmed by the kindness Alex and the other team members at IRC’s Welcome Center in Phoenix have shown her family.

Alex knows whatever kindness she can share with asylum-seeking families will go a long way. They’ve already faced so much — violence in their home countries, harrowing journeys and harsh treatment in border detention centers.

“I really want families to feel like there is someone willing to listen to them,” says Alex.

“We want to remind them that they have strength and worth.”

Alex is so dedicated to her job that she rarely takes breaks. But for a brief moment, she sits to share her story. As she talks to us with her arms wrapped around her stomach, her body language reveals her pain.

In July, Alex experienced abdominal pains at a family gathering. Thinking nothing of it, she called it a night and went home to rest. Then the uncontrollable shaking and vomiting began. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed a serious flare up of a chronic condition caused by abdominal

AROUND THE IRC adhesions. Alex needed surgery immediately.

But in facing such an emergency, Alex’s fear was not death, but the possibility of no longer helping the families seeking asylum.

“If I can’t keep serving these people, then I don’t know what I can offer to anyone.”

In addition to her stomach problems, Alex struggles with other medical issues, including having leukemia as a child. Now, she lives with constant pain, weakness and fatigue. She worries it’s only a matter of time before her health turns for the worse. But Alex refuses to give up her work.

“I get strength from what [the families] have gone through,” she says. “Regardless of being sick…it's really hard for me to stay in bed. It seems like their struggle is way bigger than mine.”

The care and respect Alex has for the families she works with shines through all she does. She shares hugs and words of encouragement, laughing in moments of levity and listening intently when families share their fears and hopes.

“For many of these families, especially the moms, they haven’t talked to anyone about what they are truly feeling. What they give is larger than what I can provide.”

Alex must live with the uncertainty of her health, but between her colleagues and family, she has a solid support system. And her work with families at the IRC Welcome Center inspires her to keep pushing forward.

“I’m not meant to last forever, but hopefully our impact on these people does.”

Below: IRC Specialist Alex Cruz helps Maria, 7, find clothes in the Ropa Room (clothing room) at the IRC Welcome Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

LEGO Foundation Awards IRC $100 Million Grant We are honored to work alongside the LEGO Foundation, who recently awarded the IRC with a $100 million grant to promote play-based early learning.

The “PlayMatters” partnership will bring the power of learning through play to nearly one million children, teachers and caregivers in East Africa.

“Play provides comfort,” says Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Chairman of the LEGO Foundation. "It helps children to overcome traumatic experiences, and to return to the routine and normalcy of being a child.”

“Nearly half of all refugees are children, but humanitarian funding still thinks of education as just an add-on,” says David Miliband, IRC’s President and CEO. “This partnership has the potential to reshape education for a generation of refugee children.”

The Prince of Wales Becomes IRC’s UK Patron We are delighted to announce that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will be the organization’s first patron in the UK. During a visit to Germany last year, their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall witnessed how the IRC is working with refugee women who have overcome extraordinary hardship to rebuild their lives.

His Royal Highness’s patronage highlights a deep commitment to IRC priorities, from women’s empowerment and protection, to emergency response and refugee support.

“The Prince of Wales has a longstanding interest in the IRC’s work,” says Laura KyrkeSmith, IRC’s UK Executive Director. “We’re delighted to have the support of His Royal Highness in our mission to improve the lives of people affected by conflict and crisis.”

Spring 2020 | 7

IN FOCUS

A Refugee Family is Finally Reunited I can’t describe the feelings I will express when I see them,” Nadine said moments before the reunion with her siblings and parents at the airport. “But you can imagine, these people are my family.”

Next to Nadine stood her husband, Divin, and their son, Joe. “Joe’s so excited to see his grandfather,” Divin said. “He’s been asking about when he will see him again… and his uncles.”

The family is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and has spent 15 years in a refugee camp. They were elated at the news that they would be starting a new life in America but faced delays when the Trump administration slashed the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. Their flight was canceled four times.

Finally on this special day, they were brought back together with the help of the IRC. Nadine (second from the left) with her parents and younger siblings at Boise Airport.

After experiencing four flight cancellations, the family was finally reunited.

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