To understand why refugee families had fled Syria one only needs to look at this picture. Who would stay in a town, city or country where their children have to run past the rubble of war to go to school – if schools are still even open?

Too many people seem to think that before the civil war that Syria was a backward, impoverished country full of citizens longing to come to the west.  This exhibits a remarkable ignorance of the facts.  Before the war, Syria was a modern country with an affluent, well educated population.  In fact, the literacy rate in Syria at 86.4% (CIA World Fact Book) was slightly higher than the U.S. at 86% (U.S. Department of Education April 2016).  
Syria’s cities were modern, and growing until the war began.  Now buildings, boulevards and neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble.

Despite the devastation, refugees consistently told our @CatholicRelief delegation that once peace arrives, they will return to Syria and rebuild.  Until then, they have every reason to flee, save their children and hope for peace.

An Opinion-Editorial piece regarding our @CatholicRelief trip to the Balkans where refugees are fleeing and are helped.

Why Care About the Largest Refugee Crisis Since World War II

They still flee, many still suffer and some die.  Who should be concerned about the largest flow of refugees since World War II?  We all should.

In January of this year I traveled with a @CatholicRelief Global Fellows delegation to Greece and Serbia to try to better understand the cause of the refugee crisis in Europe and the response of the Church and other international agencies.  So, what did we observe and learn?

Continue reading “The #RefugeeCrisis, a Moral and Global Perspective” →

 

 Pope Francis is planning to visit the Greek island of Lesbos in mid-April to show the Church’s solidarity with them and to highlight this humanitarian crisis.  The full story from America is here: Pope to Visit Lesbos

  NPR’s Scott Simon reports a real 2016 Good Samaritan  story involving Syrian refugees.  Hear how this German politican  responds to his rescuers…would it be different in your city, state or country?

http://www.npr.org/player/embed/471901535/471958087

With many countries closing their borders, especially Macedonia the humanitarian crisis in Europe has gotten worse.  Now 12,000 refugees are being detained in a camp designed for 2,500 with no prospect of leaving.  A Greek Government Minister has visited the camp and declared it to be “as bad as a Nazi Concentration Camp.” The full story is here.

I would like to think that as a world community we are better than this.  We can do more to alleviate the human suffering and we can Continue reading ““Detention Camps” for #RefugeeCrisis is not the Solution” →