WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of three devastating reports released this week that highlight how more than 5.5 million Syrian children have been affected by the three-year-long Syrian crisis (UNICEF, Save the Children, World Vision), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, joined a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on President Obama to develop and submit to Congress a more robust U.S. strategy for addressing the Syrian humanitarian crisis.

The call came as part of the Syrian Humanitarian Resolution of 2014 (S. Res. 384), introduced by the 19 senators today, that condemns the unlawful use of violence against civilians in Syria, urges all parties in the country to allow for immediate, unfettered access to humanitarian aid, supports the immediate and full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2139, and calls on the international community to continue assisting innocent victims of the crisis, both internally displaced within Syria, and in neighboring countries. If adopted, the resolution calls for the President to submit the new humanitarian strategy to relevant Senate committees within 90 days.

“I have traveled to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel and have seen the terrible impact Syria’s civil war is having across the region,” Senator King said. “I have personally visited refugee camps and met with Syrians who fled their homes to find safety outside the borders of their country, far from the brutality of the Assad regime. I have seen their suffering and understand the tremendous toll of this humanitarian crisis. And while U.S. financial aid has played a crucial role in supporting millions of refugees, it’s clear to me that it’s time for the Administration to develop a new humanitarian strategy to address this tragic situation.”

Other cosponsors include Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex).

Many humanitarian and human rights organizations have expressed support for this resolution, including: Alliance for Peacebuilding, Amnesty International, The Center for Victims of Torture, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Interaction, International Rescue Committee, Open Society Policy Center, Pax Christi International, Physicians for Human Rights, Refugees International, Syrian American Medical Society, The Syrian Nonviolence Movement, United to End Genocide, Syrian Relief and Development, and World Vision.

“Passage of the Syrian Humanitarian Resolution of 2014 would be an important statement from the U.S. Congress in recognizing the scale of the crisis and the depth of the human rights violations being committed,” these organizations said in a joint statement of support. “Our organizations are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that the people of Syria do not lose another year to bloodshed and suffering. We stand with the people of Syria, and people around the world, in calling for our leaders to make the same commitment and engage the public. We urge strong support for and swift passage of this critical resolution.”

A copy of the resolution is available HERE. 

Senator King with Syrian refugees at Nizip 2 Refugee Camp in Turkey.