An Update on U.S. Humanitarian Assistance for Those Affected by the Violence in Syria

Posted by David Robinson / August 22, 2012

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration David Robinson participates in a Facebook Chat on U.S. humanitarian assistance for those affected by violence in Syria, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., August 21, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Yesterday, I participated in two events, using new tools -- specifically social media -- to explain the ways that the United States is providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence in Syria. I started off the morning with Mark Bartolini, the Director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID in a "Live At State" forum. This format is a virtual press conference; journalists log-in, submit questions in real time, and watch the discussion online from wherever they are around the world. Over 15 international media outlets participated, and we were able to reinforce the message that… more »

Posted under: Near East and Asia

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Three Million: Changing Lives One Refugee at a Time

Posted by David Robinson / February 27, 2012

Vietnamese refugees wave before their departure for the United States, at Manila's International Airport on Sept. 26, 2005. [AP File Photo]

This month Americans welcomed the three millionth refugees since 1975, helping them build new lives, homes, and communities in all 50 states. The United States is proud of its history of welcoming immigrants and refugees.

The 1980s saw primarily refugees resettling in the United States from Vietnam, Laos, and the Soviet Union. The 1990s brought large numbers of Bosnians as war engulfed the former Yugoslavia. In the 21st century, we welcomed refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq and Somalia, among others, reflecting a more diverse and expansive refugee resettlement program.

Historically the United States has provided protection to such well-known individuals as former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Madeline Albright, Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein, performer Gloria Estafan, and marathoner Mebrahtom Keflezighi.

The stories of… more »

Posted under: Policy

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Protecting and Assisting the World’s Most Vulnerable Populations

Posted by David Robinson / January 02, 2012

Water center in Dolo Kobe, Ethiopia, 2011 [State Department photo]

With an estimated 40 million displaced people worldwide, up to 12 million who do not have citizenship to any country, and some 10.5 million refugees around the globe, the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) assists persecuted and uprooted people through our support to international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and by advocating for their protection through humanitarian diplomacy. From the Arab Awakening to the crisis in the Horn of Africa, global political upheaval and conflict have presented many humanitarian challenges, and as 2012 begins, I'd like to take a moment to share a few examples of the work we did last year.

Refugee Admissions: The United States welcomed more than 56,000 refugees… more »

Posted under: Policy

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