Plus: A DACA recipient speaks out

IRC monthly update AUGUST 2020

Behind the headlines this month Beirut after the explosion: What you need to know The stakes for refugees in the 2020 U.S. election Humanitarians describe confronting COVID-19 on top of war and displacement

Beirut after the explosion: What you need to know The explosion that shook Beirut on August 4th was the size of a magnitude 3.3 earthquake. It came at a time when the Lebanese economy was already in freefall, COVID-19 had overwhelmed hospitals, and the country was coping with a protracted humanitarian crisis brought on by the war in Syria. Today, the aftermath of the blast continues to deepen the suffering of a population already pushed to the brink. “The needs are rising by the day in Beirut,” wrote IRC communications manager Elias El Beam in his first-person account of the disaster. “We are now experiencing a local displacement crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people unable to go home.” Here’s what the people of Beirut need right now: Families need shelter: Of the over 300,000 people displaced, one-third are children. Health facilities need support: Already near capacity due to COVID-19, three hospitals were destroyed in the blast and at least two more suffered severe damage. People need money to buy food: In a recent survey, 87 percent of households the IRC spoke to said that lack of food was a critical concern for them. Read more about the challenges Beirut is facing after the explosion. Though Beirut has a long road to recovery, the people of the city have responded to the crisis with resilience and solidarity. “Hundreds of Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and people of many other backgrounds are all working side-by-side to respond,” wrote Elias. “They forgot about their differences and focused on what matters: our shared humanity.” Don’t miss Elias’s first-hand account of the generosity shown by the people of Beirut as they recover from disaster. The IRC has launched an emergency response to provide immediate cash and economic assistance to displaced families. Donate to help us respond to this emergency and crises worldwide.

Rescue in action   The stakes for refugees in the 2020 election The IRC is asking candidates for office to highlight challenges and provide solutions to three important issues in the 2020 election: refugee resettlement, the rights of asylum seekers, and global leadership during the pandemic. Explore these critical issues and find out how you can take action. Humanitarians confront crises on top of COVID-19 “Being a humanitarian worker is to give hope and healing,” says Dr. Rasha Rashed, reproductive health manager for the IRC in Yemen. “When you go to a far away village in the mountains, and you need three or four hours to get there to treat someone and to give them medicine, it gives people the feeling that you care about them.” From the recent explosion in Lebanon to the five-year-old war in Yemen, humanitarians working for the IRC are on the frontlines assisting people in crisis. Inspired by the people they serve, they are resourceful in finding ways to get help to those who need it most. Explore stories from Dr. Rashed and other IRC staff members working tirelessly to make a lasting impact. Behind the headlines: Reframing the narrative A new video from the IRC celebrates the brave individuals who are rewriting their story in the face of devastation and despair. Utkarsh Ambudkar, actor, musician and writer; Samer Saliba, urban advisor for the International Rescue Committee; Amal Kassir, Syrian-American poet; and Amaani Yahya, Yemeni rapper, rip words directly from these headlines and use them to reframe the narrative. You can watch the video here.

One thing you can do   As COVID-19 continues to spread in the U.S., so do its devastating economic impacts. Join the IRC in calling on the Senate to ensure that immigrants and refugees are included in all pandemic recovery measures, including health care coverage and economic relief.

IRC in the news   The ‘old normal’ was hard on women—and we need to use the pandemic as an opportunity to fix that In Business Insider, the IRC’s senior director for gender equality, Kristin Kim Bart, delves into the challenges women face and the need to create a more equal world as we recover from COVID-19. You can read the article here.

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