This Is Exactly What You Need to Do to Help Refugees, Straight From a UNICEF Leader

A Syrian family arrives in Chicago on Feb. 7 after they were granted entry when Trump's travel ban was halted by a federal judge.

International outrage roared after President Trump signed an executive order indefinitely ending Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States. Critics and activists had a clear argument against the ban: refugees are innocent and refusing them entry could be perilous.

POPSUGAR recently spoke to Caryl Stern, the CEO of America's United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), about her experience working with refugees and how citizens can assist despite Trump's ban.

POPSUGAR: As the daughter of a refugee, how does your personal story affect the work you do?

Caryl Stern: In 1939, at the age of 6, my mother and her brother were forced to leave their family and flee Vienna. They arrived here by boat thanks to one woman they never saw again who accompanied them across the ocean. They were then cared for at an orphanage on the Lower East Side until they were reunited with relatives. At the same time, their father — my grandfather — was among the passengers on the SS St. Louis seeking asylum from Nazi persecution.

Through their experience, I learned at a very young age that one person can make a difference through kindness and compassion, and at the same time I learned what happens when the world turns its back. These lessons inform my work daily as president and CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF. As we face the worst refugee crisis since WWII, my job is to help ensure that we continue to put children first — because all children, no matter who they are or where they are from, deserve the chance to grow up to reach their full potential.

PS: What are some ways Americans can assist the millions of child refugees around the world beyond donating?

CS: There's a lot you can do to help child refugees. UNICEF is committed to its mission to save and protect the world's most vulnerable children, and we invite all Americans to join us in that endeavor. Whether it's by giving time or money, through education, awareness-raising, or advocacy, everyone has something to contribute to make this world a better place for all children.

PS: What would you want Americans to know about refugees?

CS: Around the world today, nearly 50 million children have been uprooted from their homes — 28 million of whom have been forcibly displaced by conflict and violence — and millions more are migrating in the hope of finding a better, safer life. From Syria to Yemen, from South Sudan to Latin America, children are under direct attack. Their lives [are] being taken in their neighborhoods, in schools, in hospitals, and on playgrounds. Due to the actions of adults, no fault of their own, children's hopes and futures are hanging in the balance. It's critical to remember that whether these children are migrants, refugees, or internally displaced, they are always children first. They need and deserve our help.