As the United States meets its goal of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees, the International Rescue Committee explains how the resettlement process really works.

Harris* fled his native Afghanistan fearing for his life. He had no choice: He had worked for the United States as an interpreter for five years. As the U.S. presence drew down, the Taliban were waiting and threatened retribution. As one of the lucky few refugees welcomed to resettle in America, the 26-year-old is hopeful for his future but concerned for the safety of other refugees affected by President Donald Trump's executive order suspending the entire U.S. resettlement programme for 120 days.

Khawadah,* a Syrian refugee, has seen a lifetime of suffering. Like many women, she was forced to leave school to marry. Later, the war sent her into exile in Jordan. Despite such hardships, the 28-year-old refused to let her spirit whither, turning her sorrow into something meaningful, even beautiful.

Miriam*, 65, spends her days sitting on a floor mat in her brother’s home, massaging her swollen arms and legs. She lives in a village set among sweeping green fields in northeast Syria. When war descended over two years ago and armed fighters closed in, her family fled. They returned late last year after local authorities secured the area, but at that point, Miriam could barely walk.

Since June 2012, widespread violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people. The majority are Muslims who call themselves Rohingya—the world’s largest stateless group and one of the most persecuted. The latest violence only makes the resolution of the world’s longest civil war all the more elusive.

In a dark mud hut, VSLA members crowded around the communal safety deposit box. One by one they were called to present their passbooks, where ink stamped stars denoted the number of shares each of them had bought every week during the past months. Chantal, who cannot read or write, had only a vague idea of how much cash she would receive. She certainly didn’t expect it to be in excess of 80,000 Congolese francs (£53)—a small fortune in this area, where most families make ends meet with 60p a day or less.