Eight-year-old twin sisters from Afghanistan recount harrowing tales of the fearful journey they endured as they made their escape to Europe. They are just two of the more than one million refugees from countries experiencing relentless conflicts who have fled to Europe for safety and a new start. "The smugglers had sticks and they beat us, and wouldn’t let us stop even for five minutes," one of the girls said.

Nine-year-old Maher discovered his love for photography after the IRC gave him a camera to photograph his friends.

1 in 7 girls in the developing world will be married before the age of 15. In the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, hundreds of girls are abducted by armed groups and forced to become child brides every year. Here are the stories of four girls who were able to escape their captors. Read more about their story and how the International Rescue Committee helps. 

Actor and activist Mandy Patinkin recently witnessed first­hand the refugee crisis engulfing Europe. Alongside International Rescue Committee aid workers in Greece, he met families who had fled Syria and other war­torn countries in hopes of finding a better life for their children in Europe. “Standing with them, I did not see strangers to be feared but the faces and stories of my own family.

The International Rescue Committee's documentary film, "Escaping Syria" won a Social Good Award for Best Episode with a Social Good Theme. The IRC's "My life has been transformed" video, featuring actor Patrick Stewart, also received an honorable mention for Best Spot (Over 30 seconds). The three-year civil war in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 190,000 people.