405 E Holly St
Bellingham, WA 98225
USA
The Whatcom Peace and Justice Center and Voices for Peace in the Middle East will sponsor a donation drive this summer to support refugees stranded in Europe. Clothing and other goods collected will be traded for funds to support humanitarian and medical aid for people affected by conflict and natural disaster in the Middle East.
Since March 2011, an estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their homes to escape war. Most are internally displaced within Syria, while over 4 million are in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. One million have applied for asylum in Europe. The United States has pledged to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of September; to date, 4,700 people have been approved by U.S. Homeland Security.
Refugees migrating to Europe from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan cross the Mediterranean Sea, arriving on beaches in the Greek isles. Locals scramble to provide them with food, water, and emergency supplies before they continue on to UN refugee camps. The Salaam Cultural Museum in Seattle is collecting and distributing aid to these areas in Greece.
Rita Zawaideh of the Salaam Cultural Museum will speak about the crisis and show photos of relief work happening in Greece at a Bellingham organizing meeting and potluck on June 20, 2016.
For ongoing updates and further information, please see www.whatcompjc.org, email office@whatcompjc.com, or call 360-734-0784.
