[Press Release] World Relief President Scott Arbiter Joins President Obama and Other Humanitarian Leaders At Refugee Summit in NYC

Sep. 20, 2016

Summit Seeks Commitments by World Governments to Address Funding, Resettlement Efforts and Refugee Self-Reliance Programs.

 

NEW YORK, NY – In the midst of the largest refugee crisis since World War II, The Leader’s Summit on Global Refugee Crisis, convened by President Obama on Tuesday, September 20th 2016, will: 1) provide governments around the world an opportunity to make material commitments to funding international humanitarian appeals and organizations 2) seek greater humanitarian admissions and refugee resettlement slots and 3) improve the self-reliance of migrants and refugees through work and educational support programs.   

World Relief President, Scott Arbiter has been invited by President Obama to take part in the Leader’s Summit as a civil society representative alongside other agency heads involved in the resettlement of refugees.

The summit comes one day after a high level UN summit that, according to the UNHRC (the UN Refugee Agency) could be a “game changer” for refugee and migrant protection. Jenny Yang, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy, represented World Relief at the UN summit.

The State Department works with nine agencies to place refugees around the country, six of which are faith based including World Relief. As part of World Relief’s mission “to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable,” the group has assisted more than 250,000 refugees in the last 30 years. Local churches across the country become partners tasked with welcoming and resettling refugees in the community, a process that can take months.

“Churches are stepping up to welcome refugees with tangible expressions of love and compassion,” says Scott Arbeiter, President, World Relief. “We have seen an increasing number of volunteers building relationships with refugees, as we’ve partnered with 1,182 congregations in the past year to welcome refugees in over 27 different communities. These churches are driven by their faith and also Biblical teachings to welcome the stranger, and we are so encouraged churches are leading the way. We hope that the Summit will be an opportunity for the United States to take tangible steps to protecting refugees in a way that affirms their dignity and recognizes that communities all across the United States stand ready to assist.”

Of note, as the world’s attention is consumed by the global refugee crisis, World Relief’s resettlement efforts have garnered significant national media coverage including a specials to soon air on Nightline and 60 Minutes as wells as print stories in publications like the New York Times.

 

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World Relief – World Relief is a global, humanitarian aid and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief has 25 offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services, and works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding.

Website | www.WorldRelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief