Re-Act Scotland Refugee Support

By: Jonathan Fox P7bSam Duffy P7b

What is a Refugee?

a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

They cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.

There are 4.59 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries

Who are Re-Act Scotland?Re-Act are a group of unpaid volunteers in Edinburgh, Fife and East Lothian operating a not for-profit international humanitarian aid project working to help bring vital supplies and support to the displaced refugees across Europe.They collect donations (blankets, clothes, jackets) from people in Scotland to take to Greece, Calais and other parts of Europe. They also accept money donations to buy food and water for the refugees.http://www.re-act.scot/welcome/

What is the world is doing?

• Countries around the world are negotiating how many refugees they will accept into their countries to help those that have had to flee their countries to survive.

• The UK is to take 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2020 - but campaigners want it to take 3,000 children from Europe. The UK has already accepted about 1,000 refugees from Syria

• The government also said it was giving £10m to help vulnerable refugee minors already in Europe

What I have done to help?I collected donations from neighbours and people at my mum’s work including:• Jackets, blankets, toiletries, wellies,

toothbrushes, hats and glovesI did this over three weekends in December and took the donations to Re-Act on 22nd December. They were very grateful and sent me a thank you letter.

These donations filled a whole van at Re-Act and are going to be taken to Greece to help refugees from Syria.

Alkash’s storyI met Alkash when I went to Re-Act. He is a Syrian refugee. He told me about his journey from Syria to escape the war and how he had to leave behind all his belongings and his dad who is 90 years old. He had to pay a smuggler 4000 euros to help him escape. It took him 4 years to save the money up. He had to abandon his home. The journey took him 17 days and he had to hide in the back of a lorry. He was very scared. He said crossing the English channel in a small wooden boat was really frightening and he was not allowed to take luggage in case the boat would sink. I felt very sad for Alkash. He has been in Scotland 8 months now and he likes it but he misses his family.

What you can do to helpThis week the Prime Minister announced that the UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees during this Parliament. Here's how you can help: support one of the international charities British Red Cross Appeal Oxfam Save the Children’s Child Refugee Crisis Appeal Refugee Council Crisis Appeal UNHCR’s Emergency Appeal UNICEF The World Food Programme Refugee Action’s Emergency Appeal – the money raised will

support refugees and people seeking asylum in the UKOr of course, support Re-Act Scotland locally here in Edinburgh

THANK YOU!

Thank you for listening

I hope you will help the refugees if you can

Jonathan and Sam P7B