OREANDA-NEWS. 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.”