Before war broke out, Khaled, now 33, lived a happy and stable life with his family near Damascus, Syria, where he worked as a health care technician and grew cherry trees. After escaping war, he is now resettled and beginning a new life in Sweden.

Supporting refugees is not just a moral obligation; it is a vital part of maintaining global stability in a world where more and more people are on the move. While President Trump’s Administration has chosen to turn its back on refugees, the rest of the world cannot.

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.

Over a million Iraqis living in Mosul have had their lives turned upside down since ISIS took control of the city in June 2014. Another 200,000 have fled their homes in the last four months as the battle to retake Mosul wages on. It is predicted that the fighting will continue well into 2017, but even when the last of ISIS is driven from the city, the crisis will be far from over. 

A lot can be expressed in a letter. It is a message of unity, friendship, and hope for the future, despite the pain of being apart.

Rawan*,19, lost her first love to war. Shortly after that tragedy, and following years of danger and persecution, she and her family finally left their home in Dara’a, Syria, for Ramtha, Jordan, hoping to start anew. The International Rescue Committee has helped them find the strength to do that, and supported Rawan as she heals and recovers from her loss.

The International Rescue Committee and Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit, educational organisation behind Sesame Street — are working together to give millions of young refugees and other children in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and northern Iraq whose lives have been affected by war the support they need to learn, grow and thrive. 

Among the vast crowds rallying in downtown Seattle on the evening of Jan. 29 were Emtisal and Ahmed Bazara, refugees from Syria. Their two older children had been barred from entering the United States because of an executive order issued by President Trump two days earlier.

IRC mobile medical teams bring nutrition screenings and healthcare to communities in Nigeria where health services have been destroyed by war. The IRC and our partners also help children heal from the trauma of the conflict.

Here are some of the actors, including our dedicated IRC Voices, who have lent their public support to the IRC and refugees over the years.