After some of the bloodiest fighting in more than seven years of civil war in Syria—including a suspected chemical attack in the town of Douma—the enclave of Eastern Ghouta is under the control of the Syrian government.

Only days after Hurricane Katrina destroyed a swath of the Gulf Coast in August 2005, the International Rescue Committee dispatched an emergency team of relief experts to Louisiana. For the first time in its 73-year history, the organization responded to a humanitarian crisis in the United States. 

The surge of families seeking asylum in the United States, recent changes in U.S. policies, and the lack of available resources and services at the border are putting thousands of people at increased risk of danger and exploitation. 

This World Humanitarian Day, we honor those who have dedicated their lives to helping those in need.

Fresh from filming the latest season of Showtime’s Homeland, actor and activist Mandy Patinkin recently traveled to Uganda with the International Rescue Committee to see what happens when refugees are welcomed with open arms.