New York, NY, July 2, 2018 — The International Rescue Committee will hold a vigil tonight in Boise for families affected by Saturday’s attack, and in memory of three-year-old Ruya Kadir. The Kadir family has asked for privacy at this time as they seek healing and justice for Ruya.
Said David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee:
“On behalf of the whole IRC family in the U.S. and around the world—our staff, Board, volunteers and clients—I want to share sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Kadir family who today lost their precious three-year-old daughter, Ruya. Ruya died of her injuries following the appalling stabbings at her birthday party on Saturday.
“Our caseworkers describe Ruya as a child who always sparkled when she walked into a room. She was her mother’s princess, always the center of attention, and loved pink and Disney princesses. She had just turned three years old Saturday, and according to our IRC colleagues in Boise, was the epitome of sweetness.
“Ruya and her mother are Ethiopian refugees. They arrived in the U.S. in December 2015 and settled in Boise. Her father is in Turkey. Ruya’s parents are enduring every parent’s worst nightmare, which is made doubly cruel by the fact that they fled to America to escape conflict in Ethiopia. IRC had resettled the Kadir family in Boise. Our local team is doing everything possible to support the family—and the other refugees injured on Saturday—in this moment of extreme distress and fear.
“Now is a moment for people to pause, to come together and to redouble the commitment to help the world’s most vulnerable to safety, wherever they may be.
“Members of the Boise community are invited to join the IRC’s Boise staff for a vigil this evening to remember Ruya and for all families impacted at Boise City Hall, 6pm Mountain Time. We ask that the family’s privacy be respected during this tragic time.”