US Campaign for Burma Announcement

TELL YOUR SENATORS TO BLOCK THE CUTS: Protect Life-Saving Humanitarian Aid Please tell your Senators to BLOCK THE CUTS to life-saving humanitarian aid that will directly impact the lives of Burmese refugees and IDPs. The House of Representatives passed a budget last month that immediately cuts $1.7 billion in life saving humanitarian aid to refugees and people in crisis around the world. On Friday the Senate introduced their version of the budget with NO cuts. The House and Senate must come to an agreement before anyone can receive this vital assistance. Now we have less than two weeks to make sure the Senate protects $1.7 billion in life saving humanitarian aid. Burma's refugee programs have already cut shelter, food and other basic necessities. Any additional cuts would be unsustainable, forcing drastic cuts to the food basket well below nutritional standards, even stopping food distribution altogether to some refugees. Already as a result of existing financial constraints they have had to stop assistance to 20,000 IDPs. Funding cuts would not only endanger the lives of refugees and IDPs that currently rely on life-saving assistance but would also prevent refugee service providers from offering any food, shelter or medical assistance to any new IDPs or refugees. This would be catastrophic as the dire situation in Eastern Burma shows no signs of abating, things are only going to get worse. If the proposed cuts pass, millions of Burmese refugees and IDPs will be directly affected. However, the Senate can restore this funding. You can help prevent this from happening. Stand up for the refugees from Burma now and tell your Senators to block the cuts to humanitarian aid. Supporting and protecting millions of Burmese refugees and IDPs has always been a humanitarian issue. We need you to remind your elected officials that this is about lives of real people, and these cuts will directly endanger the lives of innocent civilians. To email your Senators, click here http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1189/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6085. Enter your zip code, and press send. After you send your message, please spread the words to your family and friends. Please urge them to help you help the people of Burma. In gratitude, Myra Support 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma: Become a member of the U.S. Campaign for Burma. Or, make a tax-deductible donation today.