GE Foundation Announces Support for International Rescue Committee Relief Efforts in Syrian Refugee Crisis

• GE Foundation provides $1 million grant to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help displaced children and families in Europe
• IRC teams are providing essential aid to vulnerable populations and rebuild lives

FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The GE Foundation today announced that it will contribute to the International Rescue Committee’s humanitarian relief efforts in Southern Europe. The IRC has more than 3,000 aid workers and local volunteers operating in Syria and neighboring countries who are helping the more than 11 million Syrians displaced by war and violence.

The GE Foundation will provide $1 million to support the IRC, one of the first aid organizations to assist thousands of refugees arriving each day on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Aid workers are working around the clock to provide essential services, including clean water and sanitation to families in need. The IRC is also helping new arrivals navigate the transit process and understand their legal rights.

“We are proud to partner with the International Rescue Committee, an organization that has helped millions of displaced people recover and rebuild their lives over the last five years,” said Deb Elam, President, GE Foundation. “The IRC is working tirelessly to provide healthcare and other essential aid as well as help women and girls who are victims of violence.”

For more than 80 years, the International Rescue Committee has been helping refugees fleeing war and persecution to find safety and rebuild their lives. According to IRC, this year alone, more than 300,000 people have fled to Europe to escape conflict or persecution in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia and over four million Syrian refugees are living in limbo in neighboring countries. Most have fled the brutal civil war in Syria, which is now in its fifth year.

“The chronic conflicts consuming the Middle East, and other fragile places around the world, have created the biggest refugee crisis since World War II,” said David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. “Faced with persecution, hopelessness and shattered livelihoods, it is inevitable that people will seek safety, peace and security for themselves and their families. The International Rescue Committee is honored to be partnering with GE as we continue our efforts to support the most vulnerable fleeing conflict and disaster.”

ABOUT GE FOUNDATION

The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of GE, is committed to building a world that works better. We empower people by helping them build the skills they need to succeed in a global economy. We equip communities with the technology and capacity to improve access to better health and education. We elevate ideas that are tackling the world’s toughest challenges to advance economic development and improve lives. The GE Foundation is powered by the generosity and talent of our employees, who have a strong commitment to their communities. We are at work making the world work better. Follow the GE Foundation at www.gefoundation.com and on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.

ABOUT THE IRC

The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. IRC teams provide health care, infrastructure, learning and economic support to people in 40 countries, with special programs designed for women and children. Every year, the IRC resettles thousands of refugees in 22 U.S. cities. Learn more at Rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150924006199/en/

Press:
GE Foundation
Tammy Pollock, 678-844-7057
[email protected]
or
IRC
[email protected]

Source: GE Foundation

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