The United States has a long tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution and war. The International Rescue Committee has 28 offices across the country that support newly arrived refugees by providing immediate aid, including food, housing and medical attention. See how they help.

Sixty percent of refugees worldwide live in cities and communities rather than in camps. Providing refugees cash instead of goods like blankets or food, allows aid agencies like the International Rescue Committee to reach refugees quickly and at a lower cost. Cash relief is also good for the economy. It means refugees can buy what they need from local shops, growing their communities.

  Fearless. Ambitious. Fabulous. The International Rescue Committee knows that wherever they are in the world, with the right support, girls can be girls. While pre-teen and teenage girls are often the first to be harmed in a crisis, they are the last to be protected. They are most at risk of forced marriage, dropping out of school and violence.

Boko Haram, the world’s deadliest terror group, has forced nearly 2 million people to flee their homes. In October 2017 International Rescue Committee president David Miliband went to Borno state in northeastern Nigeria to hear the stories and the needs of Nigeria's most vulnerable people. The IRC is on the ground providing health and education programs, access to clean water and safe spaces for women and children. 

Learn how an interactive comic book the International Rescue Committee created for Syrian women in Lebanon helps them navigate the challenges of life as a refugee and make informed decisions that can help them stay safe.

The International Rescue Committee and Sesame Street are working together to create a brighter future for 9 million children affected by war and conflict in the Syria region. We are honored to be a finalist in the MacArthur Foundation's #100andChange competition. Watch our full finalist presentation from Dec.11, 2017. Update, Dec.

Syrian refugee Bothina Matar was invited to go to Washington, D.C. by Congressman Marc Veasey, who represents her new community in Texas. On behalf of Syrian refugees, Bothina spoke to him, the press, and even attended President Trump's address to Congress. When asked why she accepted the invitation, she said "I just hope that by being here I will show the truth about refugees."

Today you'll make thousands of choices. Around 35,000 of them. From pressing that snooze button to choosing coffee over tea, watch this short film to find out more about the choice you face.

Tuesday, Dec. 19 marks 1,000 days since the beginning of the war in Yemen, a country which is now suffering from the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with a near-famine and the largest cholera outbreak in modern history. The conduct of war by all parties to the conflict repeatedly violates international law by targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Every Syrian child under the age of eight knows only a world of conflict and chaos. With more children displaced now than at any time since World War II, the International Rescue Committee and Sesame Street are working together to bring hope and opportunity to a generation of children at risk, but not lost.