Mancunians have been urged to donate anything that they can afford to help ease the ‘truly shocking’ Syrian refugee crisis, by the city’s Lord Mayor.
An estimated number of nine million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of civil war in March 2011, but it is only recently that the plight of refugees has come sharply into the international spotlight.
Councillor Paul Murphy stressed that the best way for people to help is to donate money to charities who are already involved with providing support for refugees.
“We have all been moved by the refugee crisis currently unfolding across all of Europe, the scale and severity of which is truly shocking,” he said.
“The daily stream of news and images from the media act as constant reminder of the magnitude of a problem which requires a global response – which isn’t to say we can’t all help in our own way.
“I’d ask that everyone who has wondered what they can do to ease this ongoing suffering to make a donation to one of the organisations already doing their upmost to improve the lives of those forced to leave their homes in the most dire of circumstances.
“It doesn’t matter how much you can afford to give, even the smallest contribution will help charities like Refugee Action continue to improve conditions for refugees.
“Manchester has a long and proud history of supporting those in difficult times and I know collectively we can make a very real difference.”
Examples of charities currently working to help refugees include Save the Children, Migrant Offshore Aid Station, International Rescue Committee, The UN Refugee Agency, World Vision, Medecins Sans Frontierres, The Red Cross and Unicef.
Refugee Action are a national charity working to provide advice and support for refugees and asylum seekers, and they are aiming to raise £100,000 in an emergency appeal to provide support for ‘the most vulnerable refugees’.
Julie Kashirahamwe, Manchester Area Manager for Refugee Action said: “The public’s response to this crisis has been incredible and will be a lifesaver for Refugee Action and the people we support.
“We are a small charity reliant on the support of local communities to fund our vital work providing a lifeline for refugees across Manchester.”
To donate to Refugee Action please visit www.refugee-action.org.uk/give or phone 0845 894 2536.
Image courtesy of friendsmehfil, via Youtube, with thanks.
