A Bhutanese Family Comes to Washington

Last Monday, we (The International Rescue Committee’s Washington DC resettlement office) welcomed our most recent arrival – a Bhutanese family of seven. Jet-lagged, dehydrated, but enthusiastic, the family flew into Reagan National Airport and were welcomed by an IRC case manager. This particular Bhutanese family has been in a refugee camp for 17 years. They are part of a new wave of Bhutanese refugees who are welcomed by the U.S. Government and resettled by NGO’s like the IRC.

As a resettlement agency, IRC welcomes families, finds housing, provides a first meal, offers cash assistance, helps with enrollment in English classes, and assists in the search for employment. Currently, the DC office resettles refugees from Burma, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and many other countries around the world.

Several ONE Campaign employees volunteered their personal time to host a drive for the Bhutanese family collecting furniture, food, clothing and household goods, so that the new home was ready for the family’s arrival. These employees’ involvement will not end here - they will help mentor the family as they begin their path towards independence and build their lives in Washington, DC.

If you are interested in volunteering with IRC, go here to to see if there’s a resettlement office in your area and here to learn how you or your organization can get involved.

-Kate Evans, Volunteer Coordinator for IRC’s Washington, DC Resettlement Office

Burma

Five days since Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, the state media has reported 22,464 confirmed dead and 41,054 missing. The “UN estimates hundreds of thousands have been left homeless and millions are without food and water. Up to 40 per cent of the victims are believed to be children.” (Australian Daily Telegraph.)

From the BBC:

“In a statement, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged authorities in Burma - also known as Myanmar - to allow foreign aid workers and supplies into the country…But Burma has refused to waive visa requirements for many waiting aid workers…

Survivors face poor sanitation and a lack of access to clean water.

Flooding could lead to outbreaks of mosquito-borne malaria and dengue fever, while water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery are also a threat.”

Many of ONEs’s allies are mobilizing for relief for Burma. You can learn more on these sites: Oxfam, CARE, Save the Children, International Medical Corps and International Rescue Committee.

UPDATE: “The information that we’re receiving indicates that there may well be over 100,000 deaths in the delta area,” Shari Villarosa, the charge d’affaires in Burma, tells reporters during a conference call.” (USA Today)

-Virginia Simmons