Angelina Jolie To UN: "We Are Failing to Save Lives"

Angelina Jolie pleaded with world powers on Friday to help the millions of Syrian refugees, sharply criticizing the U.N. Security Council for being paralyzed by its division over Syria's four-year conflict.

Jolie briefed the council as special envoy for the UN on refugee issues. Jolie, who said she has made 11 visits to Syrian refugees in the region since the crisis began in 2011, called strongly for the political will to act.

The U.N. estimates that about 3.8 million people have fled Syria and 7.6 million others have been displaced in the last four years. Some 220,000 Syrians have been killed since 2011, when peaceful protests erupted against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but gradually developed into a complex and bloody civil war.

"The problem is not lack of information. We know in excruciating detail what is happening in Aleppo, in Homs," Jolie said. "The problem is lack of political will. We cannot look at Syria and the evil that has risen from the ashes of indecision and think this is not the lowest point in the world's inability to protect and defend the innocent."

“Not enough people realize all that the United Nations does around the world,” Jolie said. "But all of this good is being undermined by the message being sent in Syria -- that laws can be flouted, chemical weapons can be used, hospitals can be bombed, aid can be withheld, and civilians starved, with impunity."

"We are standing by in Syria," she said, adding that the council's powers lie unused because its members cannot agree on how to address the conflict.

Jolie pleaded with the council to “work as one and end the conflict” by first imposing sanctions and an arms embargo on Syria. Russia, a top Syria ally and backed by China, has vetoed multiple council resolutions on Syria, including an effort last year to refer the situation there to the International Criminal Court. She said she would like to see the foreign minister of each of the 15 council members come to the table to negotiate a political solution.

In addition, Jolie spoke about the rising migrant crisis on the Mediterranean. Over the past three weeks more than 1,300 migrants fleeing Syria and other places have drowned at sea due to overcrowded boats that sink.

"It is sickening to see thousands of refugees drowning on the doorstep of the world's wealthiest continent," she said. "No one risks the lives of their children in this way except out of utter desperation."  

Here are a few ways you can help Syrian refugees and make a difference.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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If Your City Were Syria

What if your city was plunged into a conflict similar to that in Syria?

Save the Children released a time-lapse video last year, titled 'If London Were Syria', as part of their efforts to raise awareness about the plight of Syrian children and it is equally if not more powerful and harrowing a year later.

The video imagines the nightmare a British child would endure if war came to London and one can imagine that young girl living in any metropolitan city unaffected by civil war.

The video, created by a British creative agency Don't Panic, starts with a happy young girl blowing out candles on a birthday cake, playing dress-up, and asleep peacefully in a car. Slowly the images turn darker, and scene shows disruption, chaos, bombing, and panic as London gets gripped into a Syria-type conflict.

"Our solution was to tell a story that would bring the realities of Syria home, and to do it we combined the one-second-a-day and photo time-lapse formats to create a new way of showing an ordinary girl’s world falling apart in just a year," Don't Panic stated.

It closes with the words: "Just because it isn't happening here, doesn't mean it isn't happening."

"We hope the video will resonate with members of the public, particularly those who don’t know much about the situation in Syria so they can really understand the plight of innocent Syrian children," said Jake Lundi, Director of Brand and Communications at Save The Children. "The message to the public is just because it’s not happening here, doesn’t mean it’s not happening."

The UN has called Syria’s four-year civil war the “world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe,” with an estimated 220,000 killed and more than 12 million in need of aid. About 5.6 million of those are children.

More than 3.8 million Syrians have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, according to the UNHCR, while another 7.6 million Syrians are displaced inside the country. At least 1.8 million Iraqis were also displaced last year by violence triggered by the Sunni militant onslaught.

You can support Save the Children’s ‘Syria Children in Crisis’ fund by donating online or by calling 1-800-728-3843.

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How Can I Help Syrian Refugees?

The UN has called Syria’s four-year civil war the “world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe,” with an estimated 220,000 killed and more than 12 million in need of aid. About 5.6 million of those are children.

The following is a list of organizations, courtesy of CNN, that are offering supplies, shelter and medical care for the people displaced by the crisis in Syria.

• Doctors Without Borders is providing direct medical aid in six hospitals and four health centers inside Syria. They are also sending medical supplies, equipment and support to the medical networks throughout Syria that they cannot access themselves. They accept donations online, and you can earmark your gift for Syria by calling 1-888-392-0392.
   
• World Vision is helping in Lebanon with projects to give refugees access to clean water and sanitation. They are also in Jordan, providing basic emergency supplies, water, sanitation, and education for refugees. In Syria, they are delivering water and health services. You can support them with an online donation or by calling 1-800-562-4453.
   
• CARE is operating four refugee centers in Jordan, and is helping refugees there with cash assistance for rent and food. In Lebanon they are helping refugees get access to clean water. They are also working inside Syria, providing emergency supplies for families, psychosocial support for children and emergency medical equipment and support for women. You can support their efforts with an online donation or by donating by phone at 1-800-521-CARE.
   
• Catholic Relief Services is providing aid throughout the region. This includes urgent medical assistance, education and trauma counseling for children, and household supplies including soap and water purifiers. You can donate online where you can specify "Syria relief" in the special request form. You can also donate by phone at 1-877-435-7277.
   
• Concern Worldwide is working to meet the water, sanitation and hygiene needs for refugees in Lebanon and for many still in Syria. You can donate online or call them at 1-800-59-CONCERN.
   
• Last August, the World Food Programme provided food to more than 2 million people inside Syria. They have also fed more than 1 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey. Their hope is to provide food assistance to 6 and a half million Syrians by the end of the year. You can help them achieve this goal with an online donation.
   
• Islamic Relief USA is providing food parcels, housing essentials and medical supplies for those displaced inside Syria and the refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. To help these efforts, select "Syrian Humanitarian Aid" as the designation on the donation page.
   
• International Medical Corps is providing health care and psychosocial services for Syrian refugees with static and mobile clinics at refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan. They are also offering medical support to the hospitals and medical facilities in these countries handling refugee care. You can support their work, by donating online or by calling 310-826-7800.
   
• International Orthodox Christian Charities is helping families inside Syria and the refugees that are now living in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Armenia. They are providing emergency aid, including critical food aid, personal hygiene supplies and medicine. They are also offering pre-natal and post-natal care for infants and infant nutrition programs. You can help by donating online to their International Emergency Response Fund, or by calling 1-877-803-IOCC. You can also assemblepersonal hygiene kits for the displaced families.
   
• International Rescue Committee is helping refugees inside Syria and in the bordering countries with medical and emergency supplies. In refugee camps they are providing water, sanitation and education services. They are also offering counseling, safety and support for women and girls at risk. You can help by donating online or by phone at 1-855-9RESCUE.
   
• Life for Relief and Development is helping refugee families living in tent camps and temporary housing with food and home essentials including hygiene kits, bedding and kitchen utensils. They have created the Syrian Refugees Emergency Campaign where you can donate online.
   
• Mercy-USA is supporting displaced children and families inside Syria with food baskets, infant formula and blankets. They are also providing daily fresh bread for more than 1,500 refugee families in Lebanon, and operate a mobile health clinic for those in need. To support their work, select "Syrian Humanitarian Relief" as your gift designation on their online donation form, or call 1-800-556-3729.
   
• Mercy Corps is providing shelter, housing supplies and water for refugee camps. They are also focused on helping the children at these camps, with safe spaces, playgrounds, psychosocial support and storytelling workshops. You can support their efforts by donating online or by phone at 1-888-747-7440.
   
• Shelterbox has provided tented shelters and other vital equipment, including kitchen sets, blankets, water purification systems and classroom supplies to more than 4,500 refugee families in Syria and the surrounding countries. In the coming months they plan to support another 5,000 families, and you can help them with an online donation or by texting SHELTER to 20222 to make a $10 donation.
   
• Save the Children is helping the children in this crisis with temporary learning facilities, child friendly spaces and programs to help them cope with their trauma. They are also providing necessities like food, blankets and clothing to refugee families. You can support their Syria Children in Crisis fund by donating online or by calling 1-800-728-3843.
   
• The UNHCR is providing shelter, protection and assistance to refugees in Syria and around the world. You can help them provide tents, kitchens, stoves and sleeping mats by donating onlineor by calling 1-800-770-1100.
   
• War Child UK is helping Syrian refugees in Lebanon, providing child friendly spaces and temporary schools. You can make a donation online to their Children of Syria appeal. You can also change the currency to dollars or euros on the payment page.
   
• UNICEF is providing food, water, clothing and critical immunizations for children in Syria and the refugees in the bordering countries. They are also offering counseling for children and have launched a Back to Learning campaign for the region. You can help with an online donation or by calling 1-800-FOR-KIDS.

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