Amelia Templeton / Human Rights First – 2007-10-08 22:49:08

http://action.humanrightsfirst.org

Back in Iraq, Yasmin was a normal kid who dreamed of being an engineer or an architect someday.

Then sectarian violence turned her life upside down — leaving her paralyzed, killing her older sister, and forcing this little girl and her father to flee their country.

Iraqis like Yasmin need a safe place to put their lives back together. But the United States has admitted only 1,608 Iraqi refugees this year. Human Rights First has been a forceful voice urging US officials to bring more refugees to safety.

And we need your generous support to continue our work.

I met Yasmin and her father Sami, whose names have been changed to protect their safety, while interviewing dozens of Iraqi refugees on a recent mission to Lebanon and Jordan. There are millions more like them, trapped in countries where they are struggling to survive and living at risk of deportation back to Iraq.

Human Rights First is making sure that US policymakers understand how precarious life is for Iraqi refugees.

Your donation of $35 or more today fuels our round-the-clock efforts to provide a lifeline to more Iraqi refugees. Only 48 hours left to reach our $30,000 goal!

When you make a contribution to Human Rights First, you are making a solid investment in solutions to this growing refugee crisis. With your support we will continue our work to:

* Keep the pressure on policymakers to act. Now that the Senate has passed the bipartisan “Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act,” we will hold government officials accountable to make sure more Iraqis actually reach our shores quickly.
* Bring the voices of Iraqi refugees to the debate. We have already brought Iraqi refugees to meet with policymakers, editorial writers and journalists. We’ll continue to help refugees speak directly to policymakers and the public so their voices aren’t lost.
* Keep the crisis in the public eye. The Washington Post cited our efforts in a front-page story and The New York Times called for a rapid, effective US response to the crisis. Now that legislation has been passed in the Senate, public attention will help make sure that words are finally turned into actions.

Yasmin is only 10 years old, there’s a lot of her life ahead of her – and she needs a chance to put down roots. With your help we will persuade the US government to open the doors to more Iraqi refugees and give them a chance at a better life in the United States.

Help us continue the fight to save Iraqi lives – make a tax-deductible donation before Oct. 10.

Thank you.

Amelia Templeton works for Human Rights First’s Lifeline for Iraqi Refugees Project