International Rescue Committee president, David Miliband, witnesses first­hand the refugee crisis on the Greek island of Lesbos where up to 3,000 refugees are arriving daily. “Lesbos is the eye of the storm for the European refugee crisis,” he said. “And the IRC is the leading aid agency  providing the most basic welcome.”

Thousands of refugees fleeing Syria and other conflict­-ridden countries are continuing to risk a dangerous sea journey to the Greek island of Lesbos in small boats, even as cold weather approaches.

Meet Mustapha and his wife Safaa, who risked their lives in hope of finding safety for their young children in Europe. The family of four fled from the war­ravaged city of Aleppo to Turkey and then took the dangerous boat journey to the Greek island of Lesbos. Mustafa is aware of the backlash against refugees that has engulfed Europe since the Nov.

When the road ahead is uncertain and everything has changed, the International Rescue Committee is there. In this video, Sir Patrick Stewart shares how the IRC helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their futures.

As the war in Syria hits its 4­year mark on March 15, humanitarian needs have never been greater. Satellite images show that 83 percent of the lights have gone out in Syria since the conflict began, plunging streets, homes and hospitals into darkness. Stand with the IRC and #withSyria to turn the lights back on.

With the help of the International Rescue Committee’s dedicated staff in Baltimore, a refugee mother from Myanmar reunites with her son after spending 10 years apart. This was the Mother’s Day gift she had been dreaming of for a decade. Watch the moment when they finally meet again.

Nearly 60 million people have been forced to flee their homes by war, conflict and persecution — more lives upended than at any time in history. The International Rescue Committee joins the United Nations on World Refugee Day (June 20) in raising awareness of this unprecedented humanitarian crisis, urging global leaders to act, and saluting the courage of refugees who are trying to rebuild their lives far from home. Why is commem