“It is gratifying to see that rape and other forms of violence against women have finally been identified by the Security Council as the appalling tools of war that they are,” said Anne Richard, the IRC’s vice president for Government Relations and Advocacy.

You can read the full statement here and learn how the IRC is assisting rape survivors in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other conflict zones here.

“Our war has displaced 4 million Iraqis since 2003, including 2 million now living beyond its borders in tough conditions. Yet we have allowed this vast, potentially destabilizing refugee burden to be borne mostly by Syria and Jordan. We have provided some aid to host countries but none to Syria, and we have allowed only a trickle of Iraqis (fewer than 10,000 so far) to resettle in the U.S. — far fewer than have been taken in by Sweden.”

Refugees need to be able to return and rebuild their lives and their country, Abramowitz said — but until that time comes, they need plenty of help. He urged the U.S. to provide the refugees greater financial assistance and take in more refugees, particularly those who cannot go home.

To learn more and find out how to get involved, visit our special report on the Iraqi refugee crisis.

You can read Melissa’s posts from her visits to Iraqi refugee families in Jordan here and learn more about how the IRC is helping Iraqi refugees here.