“You have to go in aggressive right away. The good news is that the government has called for international help and agencies like the IRC are now mobilizing to do that.  The international aid community knows how to do this if they are well-resourced.  I hope we will be in this instance. It’s time to put politics aside and get on the ground and help people.”

- Michael Kocher, IRC’s vice president of international programs, speaking to CNN about the need for a massive and well-planned response to the cyclone disaster in Myanmar.

“Everything hinges on access. Unless there’s a massive and fast infusion of aid, experts and supplies into the hardest-hit areas, there’s going to be a tragedy at an unimaginable scale.”

- Greg Beck, the IRC’s Thailand-based Asia regional director, in a statement about the cyclone response issued today by the IRC.

“I never had a chance to talk to any of my family members yet. I hope I will be able to talk with them very soon.”

- Tun Than, a Burmese case worker at IRC’s Baltimore refugee resettlement office, speaking with WMAR. Than hasn’t been able to reach his parents or other relatives in Myanmar since the cyclone hit.

“The magnitude of this disaster is worsening with every passing day. There is really a need for a massive response.”

- Melissa Winkler, IRC emergency communications director, speaking with the The San Francisco Chronicle.

“Just imagine the horror of watching whole villages completely submerged and swept away. Now the survivors are homeless and desperate. They are seeking shelter in monasteries or just out wandering in search of any form of shelter from the elements. They say bodies are scattered throughout fields, school yards and roads. They have lost so many family members and neighbors and are very very worried about dwindling supplies of food and water.”

- Greg Beck, the International Rescue Committee’s Asia regional director, speaking in Thailand, where he is organizing IRC’s emergency response to the cyclone disaster in Myanmar.

IRC emergency experts have rushed to the region to assess needs and launch lifesaving assistance for survivors. You can donate to IRC’s emergency response here.

“I think that when we meet someone that does not look like us and speaks a different language, they are automatically different and that they are a stranger. And then you bring them on a soccer field and they are no longer a stranger, they are your teammate.”

- Brooke Blanchard, an AmeriCorps volunteer with the IRC’s resettlement office in Salt Lake City, in NBC affiliate KKSL’s report on a soccer game organized by the IRC between a local team and refugee youth.

“It’s tough enough being a teenager. Adding the challenge of learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture and way of life can increase the students’ frustration. The one place that the field is level is on the sports field and court — no language required — just get out there and play!”

- Christine Piranio, IRC student education coordinator in San Diego. IRC AmeriCorps Literacy Teacher in San Diego Lee Gerston, quoted Christine in a letter to ESPN’s Page 2 blog describing the girls’ basketball program for refugees run by the IRC.

“There’s naturally a period of transition and adjustment once they arrive to the US, especially for children. Some of these kids have known nothing but refugee camp life, so when they come to the US they’re expected to sit in a classroom, follow a routine they may not be used to.”

- Christine Petrie, IRC deputy vice president for resettlement, speaking with BBC News, which featured a Bhutanese refugee family resettled by the IRC in New York on its Web site.

“They have been traumatized. They feel as if they absolutely cannot go home and they have nowhere to turn. It hits you right in the gut. And it is outrageous that so little is being done about it internationally.”

- Michael Kocher, acting IRC vice president for international programs, speaking about the Iraqi refugee crisis in a feature on The NewsHour about Iraqis seeking refuge in the U.S. after working for American forces.

“They are clustered not in camps but in overcrowded urban neighborhoods, crammed into dark, squalid apartments,” say the four co-authors, all of whom took part in a recent IRC delegation to the Middle East. “Many have been traumatized by extreme violence. Their savings are dwindling; many cannot afford to pay for rent, heat and food; few have proper medical care.”"There is no denying that the United States has a special responsibility to help,” the co-authors say. “The sectarian violence these Iraqi refugees fled is a byproduct of the invasion and its chaotic aftermath.”

The op-ed outlines critical steps the United States and the international community should take to address the humanitarian emergency. Please read this urgent call for action in the New York Times and send it to family and friends.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

A cover article in yesterday’s USA Today spotlights the small number of Iraqi refugees being granted refuge in the United States. The story is set in Boise, Idaho, one of nearly 20 U.S. locations where the IRC is helping newly arrived Iraqi refugees:

HOW TO HELP

Millions of Iraqis have had to flee horrific violence. You can speak out for the innocent bystanders of the Iraq conflict. Please add your name to our pledge to aid desperate and uprooted Iraqis and spread the word about their plight.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of vulnerable Iraqi families.

Bob Kitchen, the IRC’s emergency response team coordinator, describes the IRC’s work in eastern Congo as part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “Voices on Genocide Prevention Project,” a biweekly audio series and podcast. The series features the voices of human rights defenders, experts, advocates, and government officials.  Bob’s interview can be found here.