The United States recently committed to take in 10,000 displaced Syrians in the next year. But in view of the staggering humanitarian crisis and the chaotic international responses to it, many American charities urged the U.S. government to reassess its commitment and increase the number of Syrians it is willing to admit.
"I think if the United States came out and said we would take 100,000, that would change things," said Carolyn Miles, president and chief executive of Save the Children, according to The New York Times.
"This is fast becoming a legacy issue for the Obama administration, and they are not doing enough," said Paul O'Brien, a vice president for policy and campaigns at Oxfam, reports the New York Metro Bugle.
The U.S. currently accepts less than 2,000 Syrian refugees. It is set to increase this to 10,000 from October. The decision has been met with approval as well as criticism.
While many are concerned over inadvertently allowing Islamic extremists to enter through the Syrian refugee surge, supporters of the move feel that 10,000 is a small number when compared with the numbers of Vietnamese and Cubans that have made the U.S. their home.
But charity executives feel that such concerns are unfounded, due to the stringent vetting required for admittance to the United States.
"The fact is this is a geopolitical crisis. Our plea to the American public is: 'Let's not wait. Let's open our doors,'" said Andrea Koppel, vice president of global engagement and policy at Mercy Corps, opining that it was only a matter of time before desperate refugees fleeing turmoil in the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan found ways to reach the United States.
"The crisis we're facing is not one in which we're lacking information. It's about political will and failure to act," said Donna McKay, executive director of Physicians for Human Rights.
