BEN STILLER
Actor Ben Stiller took time out of his schedule to visit refugee families during a recent visit to Berlin. The families, who had left their homes with just the bags they could carry, were just some of the million-plus people who have been forced to flee conflict and persecution, and had sought safety in Europe in 2015.
Ben visited an emergency shelter run by the NGO Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) in the Berlin district of Wilmersdorf as part of a briefing by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. He discussed the situation in Germany, across Europe and the wider Syrian crisis.
In 2015 over one million people came to Europe with over 90% of those landing in Greece coming from the top ten refugee producing countries, including war-torn Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. As of January 2016, 1 in 3 of all arrivals to Greece are children. Meanwhile countries neighbouring Syria continue to host the vast majority of refugees, with little sign of an end to displacement as the war nears its fifth anniversary.
“What struck me most about the refugees I met, is that they are just trying to move forward in their lives and provide for their families. It’s hard to imagine their situation – being totally displaced by the literal destruction of their homes and livelihoods by war, having to put their children’s lives in the hands of illegal traffickers and get on an overcrowded boat to try to reach Europe because there is no other way to reach safety. Yet despite all that has happened to them, they are focusing in a very practical way on the future, especially the future of their children.”
Ben added: “The challenges that some European countries are facing due to the large scale arrivals is clear. There is no easy solution, but I think it’s important to focus on the individuals and ensure they receive the humanitarian support they need.”
See a photo gallery of Ben’s meeting with refugee and asylum seeking families here:
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After a long journey across Europe, the family have found sanctuary in Germany. They are learning German, determined to learn the skills they need to integrate and find work locally. But their greatest hope is Mohamed and Mayyar can finally get back into school.
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Nahed guided Ben and his wife Christine around the centre which includes store rooms with clothes, shoes and other provisions donated by the public, medical and counseling facilities, and classrooms where refugees and asylum seekers can learn German.
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Dalal, another young mother at the centre, described to Ben how she had made the perilous journey from Iraq to Europe just one month after giving birth to twin girls, Zahara and Zeina. Their home city of Mosul became too dangerous when it fell to ISIS and they felt they had no option but to leave for the sake of their children.
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Ben meets Nadia and Ahmed, and their 11 year old son Moustafa. They had clung on to life in Aleppo for as long as they could, but with the bombings becoming more frequent and Moustafa unable to attend school for two years, they eventually moved to Turkey. Poverty meant Moustafa had to work, and traveling to Europe seemed their only way to get him back into school.
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For Nadia and Ahmed, the safety, well-being and future of their son is all that matters. Despite living in a cramped room, they are happy that Moustafa has made new friends, and most importantly is learning German in preparation for joining a local school where his education will begin again.
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During the visit Ben met Nahed, her husband Hassan and two children Mohamed (8) and Mayyar (5). They told Ben of their previous “beautiful” life in Aleppo, Syria. Nahed ran a hairdressing salon, and Ahmed a jewellery store. But war destroyed their livelihoods, their home, and their hopes for their children, and they were forced to leave everything to find safety.
What is UNHCR doing?
UNHCR is working around the clock with other agencies and aid groups, stockpiling and distributing winter aid items to keep vulnerable people, both in camps and urban settings, protected and warm.
This includes:
- The distribution of winter survival kits including high thermal blankets, sleeping bags, winter clothes, heating stoves, and gas supplies.
- The provision of emergency shelters including family tents, refugee housing units and emergency reception facilities.
- Improvement of reception and transit centers and preparing and supporting families for winter conditions.
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