Across the world, we are bearing witness to multiple humanitarian crises – in Afghanistan as violence intensifies, in Haiti as a result of a 7.1 magnitude Earthquake, in Ethiopia and Eritrea as civil unrest accelerates, in Central America as gang violence deepens by the day, in Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of the continued impact of war, and more. At this critical moment, as we watch death tolls rise due to these political, environmental, and health catastrophes, the United States has a moral responsibility to take the lead in welcoming and supporting our fellow humans in need.

Throughout the United States, 350 agencies – including the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI) –stand ready to provide life-saving resettlement services to individuals and families. Now is not the time to falter. Instead, we must act expeditiously and utilize the United States’ refugee resettlement program to ensure that individuals in life-threatening situations around the world have a place to come that is safe and secure.

At CIRI, we continue to work with our parent resettlement agency, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), to ensure that all refugees resettled to Connecticut have a place to call home and access to impactful, trauma-informed case management and legal services. As we have for 103-years, CIRI is unwavering in its commitment to resettle individuals, help them heal from trauma, and rebuild their lives, no matter where they come from or what crisis they have endured.

To learn more or find ways to support refugees, visit www.cirict.org.