MFA Statement on the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016

STATEMENT

Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees Statement on House Approval of HR 5732 – The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016

The House of Representatives passed HR 5732, The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016. This is a heartening bi-partisan demonstration of the significance of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

The bill is named after the former Syrian military photographer who defected to the opposition after documenting Assad’s torture of the Syrian people. Thousands of his war crimes photographs graphically depict the horror and suffering ongoing in Syria, and have been circulated within Congress and around the world.

Among other provisions, the Caesar Bill strengthens oversight of cross-border humanitarian assistance, ensuring that aid is delivered where it is most needed. A report is due Congress within six months of the law’s effective date, detailing the monitoring and evaluation of ongoing assistance programs in Syria and for the Syrian people.

“Effective humanitarian aid reaching the people of Syria is critical. Our faith-based organizations, often at the front lines, and the general public are undivided as a ‘community of caring’ in this horrific crisis,” said Dr. Georgette Bennett, Founder of the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees (MFA), a project of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.