After fleeing violence in Iraq with her young family, Taghreed had trouble coping with life as a refugee. "Do something you love," suggested her mother. So Taghreed started baking, finding comfort in the familiar scents of spices from home. The IRC helped her begin a baking career, and now she works at a popular pastry shop near where she lives in Seattle. Her son Yousif says he's proud of his courageous mom.

Actress and IRC voice Piper Perabo recently visited Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Central American mothers and their babies who had been detained at the U.S. border after fleeing gang violence at home. "When people talk about the rising number of people crossing the border, I think we have to remember that we are talking about small children and parents," she says. "It's families." Learn more about asylum seekers and how to help.

Go inside an IRC welcome center in Arizona, where we provide food, shelter, medical attention, legal orientation, travel assistance and COVID-19 testing for asylum seekers who have recently arrived in the U.S.

In an episode of Oprah's Book Club, Oprah Winfrey shares the stories of women who have fled growing violence in northern Central America but have been unable to find sanctuary in the United States because of new U.S. policies.

We are taking a moment to celebrate and thank you. For the last year, you've been a monthly donor, bringing hope and smiles to refugees across the world. Your support makes it possible for families like Maryna and her 3-year-old son, Rostik to rebuild and reclaim their lives in Ukraine. On this special anniversary, the whole team at the IRC wants to thank you, from resettlement teams in Europe and the U.S.

Thanks to your support of the International Rescue Committee, thousands of refugees and displaced people in crisis zones around the world have been able to access food, clean water, medical care and safety. Thank you for helping children and families whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. We are inspired by and grateful for your support.

Thanks to your support of the International Rescue Committee, thousands of refugees and displaced people in crisis zones around the world have been able to access food, clean water, medical care and safety. Thank you for helping children and families whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. We are inspired by and grateful for your support.

Through Ahlan Simsim, or “Welcome Sesame,”  the International Rescue Committee and Sesame Workshop are bringing early childhood development and playful learning to children—like Ayla in Jordan—who are affected by conflict and crisis in the Middle East.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRC has been able to deliver school supplies to families and continue serving refugee students in our Ready to Read after-school program in Seattle. IRC tutors meet with students in an online classroom, assigning them books to read that correspond with their current reading level. Students who do not have computer or internet access receive printed copies of the same books.

Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis, and Afghans who assisted the United States government are among the groups in particular danger.