What About The Syrian Refugees

There's been a lot happening in the debate over the response to Syria's horrific chemical weapons attack, and before President Obama addresses the nation in primetime tonight, I wanted to make sure you knew the latest: 

In an encouraging step today, President Obama said he will back an effort in the UN to secure and ultimately destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. 

Right now, a UN Security Council resolution is being drafted to order Syria to transfer control of its chemical weapons to the international community for safe storage and destruction. 

All this will not solve Syria's two-year civil war, but diplomacy remains one of the best tools in our foreign policy tool box. And while there are many negotiations and discussions that will need to take place before a viable deal could come together, this is exactly what the UN is for, and it's why we need it so much. 

It's also important to remember that the UN has been on the ground in Syria, and in neighboring refugee communities, from the very beginning of this devastating conflict. Regardless of what happens next, the tragic reality is more than 100,000 people have already lost their lives, and millions have been forced to flee their homes, over these past two very long years. 

From the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), from the World Health Organization to the World Food Program, the UN has and will continue to provide shelter, food, water, education, and health care to the more than 2 million Syrian refugees – half of them children.

So while the critical debate around the international response continues, let's not forget about the millions of people who are still depending on the UN's life-saving humanitarian work in Syria.