Amal and George Clooney want the world to understand the plight of Syrian refugees
George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney spoke with Syrian refugee families living in Berlin last month. The meeting was organized by the International Rescue Committee. The refugees shared with the Clooneys what their life was like in war-ravaged Syria, the reasons they felt they needed to uproot their families, and their hopes for a better future in Germany.
“…There was shooting between the two sides. I sat in the corner and I got ready to die. Wissam and Judy, my children, were shaking. I hugged them and told them I didn’t want them to die while scared like that.” — Mona Zeadan from Damascus
Over 11 million people have fled their homes in Syria as the conflict approaches its sixth year. The IRC has been delivering critical aid to millions affected by the violence, inside Syria and across the region since 2012. Last year, we provided lifesaving assistance to nearly 900,000 people in northern Syria alone.
“We — what we like to think of a civilized world, a nation — always look around at the end of these tragedies and say if we knew, we would have done something. And the reality is of course, we know.” — George Clooney
Meet the Syrian refugees and their families
- Steve Jundi is a former professional basketball player on the Syrian national team and arrived in Germany nine months ago. He was active in the Syrian political opposition and, as a result, was arrested and tortured.
- Mahmoud and his wife Muna fled their apartment in Aleppo with their three older sons after it was struck by a grenade. Mahmoud was hit by shrapnel, but the rest of the family was unharmed. They fled to Turkey and from there by boat to Kos, Greece. Mahmoud worked at the Syrian ministry of social affairs and his wife was a teacher before she retired.
- Mona Zeadan is a single mom with three children. She made the difficult journey across the Aegean Sea to Lesbos, Greece from Turkey. She fled her home in Damascus because of the growing political violence.
Refugee Crisis: How the IRC helps
The International Rescue Committee is providing relief to millions of uprooted people inside Syria; in neighboring Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan; in Afghanistan; on the shores of Greece; and in our 26 resettlement offices in the United States. Learn more about the IRC’s response to the refugee crisis and how you can help.
Nearly 60 million people have been forced to flee their homes by war, conflict and persecution — more lives uprooted than at any time since World War II. Produced by the International Rescue Committee, “Uprooted” keeps the spotlight on the individual human beings behind the tragic numbers in this global refugee crisis.
