The crises and problems that Refugees International tackles are daunting. Yet, in 2009 progress was made that directly eases the burdens of people who are forced to flee their homes. Thanks to Refugees International’s work, new funding was made available to help refugees survive, policies were put in place that protected displaced people from further violence, and assistance programs more effectively reached the most vulnerable. While it’s important to look back on the new crises that emerged in 2009 and the people whose suffering continued, it is heartening to know that some positive changes occurred.

Las Vegas doesn’t seem a likely place for an event focused on the atrocities in a remote region of Sudan. And yet, the Ante Up for Africa tournament held yesterday in Las Vegas brought out hundreds of people -- celebrities, poker players, media and spectators – with the sole purpose of raising awareness and funding to end the crisis in Darfur and other conflicts in Africa.

I am always inspired when people hear about Refugees International's work for the first time. Last night, Ambassador Said Jawad and his wife Shamim hosted a group of some 100 influential supporters and new friends of Refugees International at the Embassy of Afghanistan. They were there to learn about our recent mission to Afghanistan and the latest work we are doing to improve the lives of Afghan refugees.  

The office is buzzing. Tonight is the highly anticipated one-night only production of Betrayed at the Kennedy Center, George Packer's play based on his New Yorker article of the same name. 

The sold-out event is co-hosted by Matt Dillon and Sarah Jessica Parker who will be at the VIP reception this evening prior to introducing the play. 

We're putting together all the finishing touches for the event today and are thrilled that it is generating such a large turnout. 

You can help Refugees International urge President-elect Obama to support millions of displaced Iraqis as he crafts a new U.S. policy for Iraq.

In the surprisingly orderly offices of an international aid agency in Burma, Dr. Thant Zin Myint (name changed to protect his identity) took a brief break from the relief and recovery work for communities afflicted by Cyclone Nargis. Amidst white boards detailing the latest statistics of how many baskets of rice had been delivered and the number of villages reached, the doctor told me his story.

Just one month ago, Refugees International led its second mission inside Burma this year. We continue to see the importance of ground truth – witnessed first-hand – in the debate over whether to engage the country with humanitarian aid or punish it through isolation. And the facts from inside the country continue to convince us of the need to engage. Here are a few vignettes to illustrate that point:

I arrived in Burma less than four months after Cylone Nargis devastated the Irrawaddy delta region. The cyclone left 140,000 people dead or missing. Farms, villages and cities were flooded. Homes, schools and roads were destroyed. 2.4 million people have been affected.