We had watched the dinghy from about a mile out, making its way slowly across the Aegean Sea to the island of Lesbos. The scene along this eight-mile stretch of coastline has become familiar: a small corps of volunteers waiting on the shore, using hand gestures to caution the person steering the boat to slow down; the overcrowded dinghy full of anxious faces turned toward land tantalizingly close.

As novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, spreads globally, the International Rescue Committee is ramping up its response. See live updates of our work around the world:

Syria has all but collapsed as the country’s civil war enters its seventh year.  On March 13, the International Rescue Committee released a new survey—the first of its kind—on Syrian children and learning. 

What's life like for refugees in Europe?

In all, more than 1 million Somalis have been displaced inside their country by drought and terrorism. Many are living in makeshift shelters in crowded conditions that are ripe for the spread of disease. And the violence that has gripped Somalia for decades has seriously weakened the country’s health care system, making it difficult for people to get medical attention. 

She visited our programmes which assist refugees as they adjust to their new lives in Germany, from the classroom to the workplace to the broader community.

Thousands of people are fleeing their homes as the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga and coalition forces fight to retake Mosul — Iraq's second largest city — from the ISIS militant group. Nearly 22,000 Iraqis have been displaced since the battle for Mosul began on October 17. Almost half of them are children. People who fled surrounding communities are telling International Rescue Committee aid workers about the two years of terror they endured living under ISIS. Here, one woman describes how her family managed to survive under ISIS’s strict code of behavior and dress, and how they were finally able to escape as the military offensive began.

It’s rainy and cold along the waterfront of Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon. Despite being a school day, there are dozens of children walking up and down the ‘corniche’ with piles of CDs in their hands. Every minute or so they approach a passerby, sometimes a local, sometimes a tourist, to see if they are interested in buying a CD. Almost everyone says no.    Thirteen-year-old Bilal* has been working on the streets of Tripoli for the past two years. Originally from Aleppo, he would work 12 hours a day to bring in cash to support his family.

Over 4.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine. Go inside the International Rescue Committee's response supporting their long-term needs.

Threatened by gangs in El Salvador, Valentina escaped danger by resettling to the United States. She tells her powerful story so others like her might have a chance at safety and freedom.