To: President Donald Trump
President Obama, Act to End the Suffering of Syrian Refugees
President Obama, the United States must act immediately to help those running for their lives from the mass brutality in Syria. I call on you to commit the U.S. to accept more Syrian refugees and help provide financial help to others who are sheltering those in desperate need. And I urge you to redouble efforts to bring the conflict and mass atrocities in Syria driving this crisis, to an end.
Why is this important?
The drowning of a little boy put a human face on the massive crisis in Syria this week. He was one of 4 million Syrians who have fled their homes since the war began four years ago. And he became one of the more than 220,000 people killed in the conflict so far.
The world has failed to respond to the massive influx of refugees, leading to the deaths of thousands at sea. Immediate action is needed to save lives.
The United States can and should be doing more. President Obama should call on European leaders to end their intransigence and immediately accept desperate refugees, launch rescue operations and provide emergency shelter. Our own country should commit to resettle more refugees and provide greater financial assistance.
The father of the boy who drown this week said, "We want the world’s attention on us, so that they can prevent the same from happening to others." He's right. Our attention is desperately needed. After four years of inaction, this crisis won't stop until the U.S. and the world commit the political and economic resources needed to bring an end to the war.