Thereâs something about Syria.
Ben Stiller came to Washington D.C. Wednesday and testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, sharing intimate details about the families he met while imploring the US to continue their assistance.
The famed actor and director, most known for his hilarious roles in âSomething about Maryâ, âMeet the Parentsâ and others, has taken a more serious turn in his career in the last few years, splitting his time off-camera as a director and working as a Goodwillđł Ambassadę§or for the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Through his work with the agency, Stiller has traveled âaround the worldâ meeting with refugees, including to host countries like JordaáŠáŠáŠáŠáŠáŠâ¤â¤â¤â¤áŠâ¤â¤â¤â¤áŠâ¤â¤â¤â¤áŠđąáŠáŠáŠn, Lebanon and Germanyđ .
While his testimony was largely somber, the comedian couldnât help but đopen up with a joke.
âItâs great to be here in person, I watch you all on television all the time,â Stillerđˇ said.
âYou all look much taller in person,â he quipped.
He told the committee about the âfrighteningâ and âtraumaticâ stories heâs heard from the people who fled their war-torn homes only to settle in neighboring countries that provide little work and education opportunities, furthering their struggle even in timeę§s of âpeꌯace.â
Stiller described a family of four he met in Lebanon who have been desperately moving around in search for work since they fled their home in Syria eđight years ago when the conflict first began.
The family is trying to sell one of their kiྊdneys on Facebook for extra cash and recently considered selling their newborn baby to âhelp make ends meet.â
â[It] sheds light on the familyâs desperate cięŚrcumstances,â Stiller said.
âBut for being born in a different country, it could well be me and not them sitting in a small, cold, â¨makeshift shelter⌠these people have lost everything.â
Stiller explained how the size of the refugee population has further splintered the already fragile economic and political ecosystems of the countries hosting refugees. He asked the committee to ensure refugees have access to work, health services, livelihood opportunities, education for their children and âlong term structural supportâ so refugees can contribute to their new communities and not sit idly by collecting aid.
âThe United States has been the most generous donor to mꊲany humanitarian crises, including the Syria ŕ˛situation,â Stiller said.
âI urge you to maintain this generosity.â
âWe must not look away, we cannot let Syriaân families go deeper into destitution and we cannot let their children be part of a lost generation,â he went on.
He also asked the committඣee to eânsure aid agencies have âunhindered accessâ to areas of return inside of Syria so when families do decide to go home, agencies will be there to assist them.
Since Civil War in Syria ęŚbegan eight years ago, more than ađ° half million Syrians have been killed and nearly 6 million have become refugees, including 3 million children.