Dear John,

I hope this email finds you safe and well. I’m reaching out today with an update on the refugees and asylum seekers we're working to assist around the world.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began four months ago, thousands of refugees and asylum seekers have struggled to meet their basic needs. According to HIAS research, over 70% of displaced individuals have been unable to afford food, and many of them have had no choice but to eat less – just one or two meals a day. Even worse, some refugees and asylum seekers are afraid to seek assistance from local organizations or governments because doing so might put them at risk of being deported.

And displaced families aren’t just going hungry – many have also been unable to make their rent payments, forced to sell their personal belongings to access lifesaving medicine, or deprived of medical care due to their legal status or lack of health insurance.

HIAS teams are working around the clock in 16 countries to help refugees and asylum seekers secure the resources they need to support themselves, providing on-the-ground assistance and working in courts to open up unemployment benefits, asylum rights and other forms of institutional support. We understand this is a difficult time, but your support helps us address the challenges refugees and asylum seekers face around the world. If you’re in a position to give, please donate $18 to support refugees and asylum seekers as they seek freedom and safety during this unprecedentedly challenging time.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, our teams are working with supermarkets to supply food for asylum seekers in Ecuador, working with HIV-positive refugees in Greece to obtain health care, and providing refugees and asylum seekers across the globe with emergency cash-based assistance. We’re also hard at work to ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to health and wellness information and individual counseling services, as well as advocating for the legal safety and rights of refugees and asylum seekers during the pandemic.

HIAS is committed to doing everything we can for those who have left everything behind in their quest for safety and freedom – during this crisis and beyond. But we rely on our community to help sustain this lifesaving work, so I’m asking for your support today:

If you are able to help, please make a contribution of $18 or more – anything you can spare – to provide refugees and asylum seekers with critical support as they rebuild their lives during these uncertain times.

Thank you so much for everything you do to support refugees and asylum seekers.

Sincerely,

Mark Hetfield President & CEO