IRC in the News

Rape and other forms of extreme sexual violence in Syria, often committed in front of family members, is a major reason for increasing numbers of people to flee their homeland, the International Rescue Commission said.

(CNN) -- Sharifa lost her foot when the Syrian jets swooped down and fired missiles at the house. Now the hijab-clad girl sits jaded in a dirty, hardscrabble displaced persons camp near Turkey, growing up fast, confused and far from home.

The Middle East faces a "staggering" humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict in Syria, an aid agency says. With more then 600,000 Syrians having fled the country, the International Rescue Committee is calling on the outside world to step up its response.