Media contact: Erin Taylor ([email protected]); 267-250-8829
Washington, D.C. (June 20, 2017) – Ahead of World Refugee Day, Save the Children polled 500 Americans about their support for refugees. According to the poll, the majority of respondents, 80 percent, agree that all refugee children deserve an education. Additionally, more than 70 percent of people agree that it is important to help refugees abroad as well as in the United States.
“This poll demonstrates that it is imperative for us to help refugee children find safe homes, food, water, and education,” said Carolyn Miles, President & CEO of Save the Children. “It is not only the right thing to do, but it also ensures that we do not have a lost generation, which hurts all of us and our global stability.”
Currently, there are more displaced people than there have been since World War II. Worldwide, the UN Refugee Agency reports that 22.5 million people are refugees, including 11 million children.
Also of interest in the poll, 64 percent of Americans want to help a refugee family here in the U.S. This is despite only 37 percent responding that they personally know a refugee.
“These responses are encouraging and prove that Americans show compassion for those we have not met,” said Miles. “I personally have met with hundreds of refugees in the U.S. and around the world, and the children who hurt the most have witnessed the suffering and deaths of loved ones and the instability of life without a home and school. We have an obligation to help.”
Save the Children is working with its political advocacy arm, Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), to urge supporters to contact members of Congress to demonstrate bipartisan support and American leadership in response to this humanitarian crisis.
“No child should experience the violence and fear that the refugees have,” said Mark Shriver, president of SCAN. “And yet, millions of children’s futures hang in the balance. They often miss out on the basic needs of childhood: safety, health and an education.”
To help refugee children on World Refugee Day, ask your members of Congress to support a resolution introduced by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) calling for humanitarian support and resettlement for refugees.
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Carolyn Miles, Mark Shriver and other spokespeople are available for additional comment. Please contact Erin Taylor ([email protected]) to arrange an interview.
Editor’s note:
This online survey of 500 American adults, was conducted by System 1 Research in May 2017.
Save the Children gives children in the United States and around the world a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We invest in childhood — every day, in times of crisis and for our future. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Save the Children Action Network is the political voice for kids. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why we’re building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning and that no mother or child around the globe dies from a preventable disease or illness. By investing in kids and holding leaders accountable, we are helping kids from birth to age five survive and thrive. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.