CARE implores international community to find a way to end humanitarian tragedy
WASHINGTON (April 13, 2018) – CARE calls on international powers to resume intense diplomatic efforts to bring an end to hostilities, guarantee the protection of civilians and ensure immediate access to populations in need. Without this, there will only be more fighting, more death, more displacement and more suffering.
“The suffering of the Syrian people is beyond comprehension,” said Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of CARE. “The bloodshed has to stop, and aid workers have to get access to people in need. We must stay focused on the soaring humanitarian needs in Syria, where more than 13 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 5.6 million who are in acute need.”
Over the past seven years, civilians have borne the brunt of repeated and egregious war crimes, including alleged chemical attacks, the latest of which have killed more than 43 people in Douma and led to a retaliatory strike by the U.S. and allies Britain and France. CARE reminds all parties to this conflict of their obligations to ensure civilians are protected in line with International Humanitarian Law and have sustained and unhindered access to the humanitarian assistance that they need. As a humanitarian organization, we reiterate the importance of upholding international norms and the Geneva Conventions forbidding the use of chemical weapons and targeting civilians more broadly.
“The horrors of this conflict painfully illustrate the need to adhere to International Humanitarian Law,” said Nunn. “Civilians are not targets, schools are not targets and hospitals are not targets.”
The U.S. is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance and lifesaving support for Syrians. Historically, the U.S. has welcomed and resettled more refugees than any other country in the world.
However, the U.S. has admitted only 44 Syrian refugees in the past six months. CARE’s campaign, #BetterThanTheBan, calls on lawmakers to stand in solidarity with refugees. In order to protect innocent Syrians escaping the brutality of war, the U.S. must stand by our humanitarian values in all of our actions, not abandon them.
ABOUT CARE
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year, CARE worked in 94 countries and reached more than 80 million people around the world. To learn more, please visit www.care.org.
Media Contacts
Brian Feagans, +1-404-457-4644, bfeagans@care.org; Nicole Ellis, +1-202-560-1791, nicole.ellis@care.org