Letter to President Obama: Commit to Vigorous Humanitarian Efforts Worldwide

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006


Dear President Obama,

I write to highlight the plight of refugees and displaced people and to urge you to commit to a continued and vigorous humanitarian response, especially in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, in your State of the Union address. Your remarks are an opportunity to outline the role of the United States in responding to complex emergencies around the world, emphasize that the needs of the most vulnerable are central to U.S. values and security interests, and assure the American people that the United States will remain the world’s leader on humanitarian assistance.

Of the many activities the United States engages in overseas, providing lifesaving assistance to innocent victims of war is among the most necessary and successful. Americans strongly support efforts to alleviate human suffering. Successive administrations and the Congress have responded to this support, even in times of domestic economic distress. At the end of 2009 Congress ensured that the United States would continue to assist the world’s refugees when it passed the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act with funding for Migration and Refugee Assistance exceeding your budget request.

During your Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo, you acknowledged that in today's wars “many more civilians are killed than soldiers; the seeds of future conflict are sewn . . . refugees amassed, and children scarred.” There are still millions of displaced Iraqis inside and outside the country that have been forced to flee their homes as a result of instability and violence. Many more may be forcibly displaced once the United States military pulls out. A responsible exit from Iraq that includes continued support for those who have born the brunt of the war will send a clear message to neighboring countries that the protection of civilians is central to our efforts in the region. It will also signal to the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan that their wellbeing is a priority as military operations intensify with the support of the United States.

As your Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz said in a speech earlier this year, while public diplomacy should never be the driving force behind humanitarian assistance, “the generous provision of aid can, indeed, help to break down negative stereotypes and images of the United States, and communicate U.S. support for responsible overseas engagement.”

It is in the best interest of the United States to promote stability in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan by ensuring that displaced people and refugees are supported and ultimately able to return home should they choose to or resettle where their safety is assured. Stability can not be achieved in these countries without a solution for those who remain displaced from their homes.

Sincerely yours,


Joel Charny
Acting President
Refugees International