16
April 29, 2014
commentary
Making a Difference
Millions of refugees with no place
to call home
By Tony Magliano
Emergency: Syria!
Emergenc y: Sout h
Sudan! Emergency:
Democratic Republic
of the Congo! These are the alarming
messages being displayed on the
homepage of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (www.unhcr.org).
According to the UNHCR, Syria has
more people forcibly displaced than any
country on earth. Over 9 million Syrians
have been uprooted from their homes
due to civil war – over 2.5 million of
them have fled to neighboring countries
as refugees. And most distressing, more
than half of the displaced are children.
In South Sudan, UNHCR reports the
civil war and growing food shortages
there have led to approximately 2,000
people crossing into nearby countries per
day. Many of these refugees have been
arriving exhausted, nutritionally weak,
and in poor health.
According to UNHCR, armed conflict
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
has caused about 450,000 people to cross
into neighboring countries as refugees.
Armed conflict in the Central African Republic has created a refugee
population of more than 312,000. While
its number of refugees is not the continent’s largest, the violence there is so
overwhelming that Steve Hilbert, foreign
policy advisor for Africa at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, believes it is
Africa’s most desperate nation.
These tragic examples highlight
the massive refugee crisis throughout
much of the world. While many poorer
countries are stretching their meager
resources to accept and aid refugees,
most rich nations are not adequately
responding.
For example, UNHCR reports that
Lebanon continues to host nearly 1 million refugees from Syria, while according
to legislative specialist Jill Marie Gerschutz-Bell of Catholic Relief Services,
the U.S. took in only 30 Syrian refugees in
2013. She said CRS is urging the Obama
administration to allow 15,000 Syrians
into the U.S. this coming year.
The number of Syrian refugees hosted
in Lebanon would be equivalent to over
73 million refugees in the U.S, reports
UNHCR.
Kevin Appleby, director of migration
policy for the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops explained that the U.S.
must set the example, so that other rich
nations will follow. He said we need to
significantly increase financial refugee
assistance to the UNHCR, and allow
many more of the world’s refugees into
our nation.
Appleby said on average the U.S. takes
in 60,000 refugees per year. He noted that
during the height of the Vietnam War
the U.S. took in 132,000 Vietnamese in a
single year. He said the U.S. could easily
take in at least 100,000 annually.
Please email and call your two U.S.
senators and congressperson (Capitol
switchboard: 202-224-3121) urging them
to significantly increase funding for
international humanitarian assistance.
Urge your congressional delegation to
push for a significant expansion of the
number of refugees allowed into the U.S.
each year.
You can provide additional help to
refugees by sending a check to Catholic
Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore,
Md. 21203-7090. Kindly earmark your
check “refugee aid.” Or you can donate
online http:/
/crs.org/donate/.
When we are called to remember the
poor in a special way, we would do well
to remember that Jesus, Mary and Joseph
were once refugees.
• Tony Magliano is an internationally
syndicated social justice and peace columnist.
A Pilgrimage to Italy
In the Footsteps of the Saints
Milan, Bergamo, Padua, Bologna, Siena, Cascia, Assisi & Rome
Under the Spiritual Direction of:
Most Rev. Patrick J. McGrath
12-Days: September 1 to 12, 2014
Only $4,299
from San Francisco (SFO)*
For Brochure & Registration Contact Rev. Christopher Bennett
Tel: (408) 629-7777 • Email: [email protected]
*Plus $738 in airport taxes, security fees, current fuel surcharges, and $135 in tips.
www.valleycatholiconline.com
T
he Valley Catholic
MORAL THEOLOGY
Hate and Fred W. Phelps
By Father Gerald D. Coleman, SS
In his closing homwith his fists and the handle of a pickily at World Youth
axe to the point of bleeding. Nathan’s
Day 2013, Pope Franbrother Mark supports these claims.
cis asked, “Whe