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Syrian government troops are attempting to capture the remaining sections of Aleppo, and its citizens are in grave danger.  

Aleppo Residents flee rebel-held areas of the city. Photo by Karam Al-Masri/Getty Images.

The humanitarian disaster, which has been ongoing for months, has gotten far worse in the past few days, with terrified residents, caught between government forces, Russian airstrikes, and rebel forces tweeting desperate pleas for help and final messages to loved ones. Reports of women committing suicide to avoid being raped and civilians being executed by regime forces have begun to filter out of the city.


Meanwhile, the once-thriving region has been reduced to rubble and chaos over the course of the past several months. Russia has announced an end to the military operation, claiming victory, and reports of a cease-fire between government and rebel forces have been issued, but both have yet to be confirmed by the United Nations at the time of this writing. 50,000 civilians are still believed to be in the eastern part of the city.

It's easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed and want to turn away from a story like this. The news is bleak — and likely to get bleaker. But those of us with the good fortune to live in safety have a responsibility to do what we can to help. And there are ways to help.

Most involve donating to organizations that are on the ground in or around Aleppo. We know not everyone has money to spare, but if you can make it work, providing much needed funds to these organizations is the most efficient way to assist at a crucial moment like this.

1. Support the White Helmets.

The White Helmets respond to the aftermath of an airstrike. Photo by Mohamed Al-Bakour/Getty Images.

Led by Raed Al-Saleh, this homegrown search-and-rescue force, which operates in rebel-controlled Syria, including Aleppo, has saved tens of thousands of their countrymen over the course of the conflict — pulling bombing victims out of rubble, raising money for prosthetics, and supporting the families of fallen comrades.

Some critics of the organization argue that the group hides a political mission, which advocates for regime change and policies that have exacerbated the violence. But right now, they're saving lives, and in a crisis moment, that matters more.

You can donate on their website.

2. Support Doctors Without Borders.

The aftermath of the destruction of a Doctors Without Borders-supported hospital in Syria. Photo by Omar Haj Kadour/Getty Images.

The global, nonpartisan medical relief organization is still active on the ground across the country, providing local medical facilities, which have been decimated by the war, with equipment, supplies, and, where possible, personnel.

You can give them money here.

3. Support the Syrian American Medical Society.

Medical professionals protest near the United Nations. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

The group runs dozens of medical operations in Syria and the countries that have taken in the largest share of refugees from the war, treating nearly 3 million Syrians in 2015.

You can sign up to volunteer or donate here.

4. Support the International Rescue Committee.

The IRC supports people who flee war and conflict in countries around the world, including Syrian refugees.

Here's how to support them in turn.

5. Support Save the Children.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images.

Save the Children works with internally displaced and refugee children and families affected by the conflict.

You can read more about what they're doing and pledge support here.

6. Go to a protest, or start one.

Londoners and residents of Istanbul are taking to the streets to demand action from local officials on the growing crisis.

If you live in those cities, join them to demand action from local officials. Or organize a protest effort where you are.

7. Support refugees.

Aleppo residents flee the rebel-held section of town. hoto by Karam Al-Masri/Getty Images.

There are millions of them all over the world. The terrorization and dismemberment of Aleppo? This is what they're fleeing. This exactly.

Since refugees from the conflict started flooding into the West in 2011, their fate has become a political football, exploited by candidates and causes in countries across Europe and North America to stoke fear and win elections. This should stop. The most compassionate thing we can do is to put aside our fears of terror and the unfamiliar and give them a chance to rebuild their lives among us. And to give those who still suffer on the ground hope that there's a better life available to them, should they manage to escape.

You can donate to the UN Refugee Agency. Or Questscope, which provides education and counseling resources to refugees living in Jordan. Or the Migrant Offshore Aid Station, which helps shepherd refugees making the perilous sea-crossing into Europe to safety.

More importantly, you can call your senator or congressperson and tell them that you won't support them if they don't support expanding the U.S.'s Refugee Admissions program to admit more than the woefully inadequate 10,000 Syrians we resettled in 2016.

What's happening in Aleppo isn't just a humanitarian tragedy, it's a moral crisis. It's a time to put aside our fears and apathy, to get real, and to act as best and as effectively as each of us can.

If we don't, we'll never stop asking ourselves why we didn't.

Last year, Alan Rickman teamed up with a tortoise for a very important role.

Specifically, this tortoise.


GIF via OneClickGiving/YouTube.

The goal was to create a viral video to raise money for refugees living in the U.K.

The 30-second video features a teeny-tiny tortoise eating a strawberry — that's it. While the miniature star of the screen chomps away, Rickman — who you may know from his roles as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series and so much else — provides a voiceover explaining how this all works.

Here's Rickman at the premiere of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2" back in 2011. Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images.

So how does it work anyway? It's simple, really. You watch the video, and that's it.

The way it works is that the more views the video gets, the more advertising dollars its creator — OneClickGiving, a charity created by students at Oxford University — makes from YouTube. OneClickGiving then donates the ad revenue to Refugee Council and Save the Children. You are helping them raise that money — all just by watching a cute little video. Make sense?

These refugees were crossing through Hungary into Northern Europe. Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.

This morning, the world learned that Rickman had died at the age of 69. Many are honoring his memory.

There'll be no shortage of tributes circling around the Internet, with fans in mourning and reflection, remembering him for the big roles he played on the stage and screen during his lifetime.

Rickman is joined by Tom Felton, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Matthew Lewis at the New York premiere of "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2" on July 11, 2011. Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images.

But just one video lets you help the refugees in the process.

Watch and share the video below.

More

2 Hollywood stars donate $1 million to help refugee children.

The couple's donation is 'a great expression of humanity,' according to one charity leader.

250,000 refugee children are about to get a potentially life-saving vaccination thanks to — Borat?

Sort of! Actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen — best known for his roles as Borat and Ali G — and actress Isla Fisher are seeing to it that a quarter million refugee children get vaccinated for measles. The husband and wife duo are doing their part to end 2015 on a high note.


Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher attend the 2013 BAFTA LA Jaguar Britannia Awards. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

Refugees have many needs: food, water, and shelter lead the list. But what about vaccines?

Given that refugees, especially those living in camps, find themselves in close quarters and squalid conditions, disease can spread quickly. That's why it's so important to take preventative measures — like vaccinations. The problem? Vaccinations cost money that these refugees often don't have.

A family of Syrian refugees huddle in a Turkey refugee camp. Photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images.

Baron Cohen and Fisher's donation — totaling more than $1 million — will be split between two groups.

Half of it will be going to Save the Children to pay for the 250,000 vaccinations, while the other half is being donated to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help pay for refugee health care, shelter, sanitation, and other basics.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

"The Syrian conflict is now approaching its fifth year and children are the first victims," says Save the Children CEO Justin Forsyth.

"Syria’s health system has collapsed and deadly childhood diseases — like measles — which had previously been all but eradicated have now returned, threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of children," he continues. "By allowing us to make their generous donation to Syrian children public, Sacha and Isla are helping highlight the tragedy of the issue today. These are desperate times for Syrian families facing bombs, bullets and torture in Syria. The couple’s donation will save many thousands of lives and protect some of the most vulnerable children."

"Now is the time for all of us to double down on commitments to civilians caught up in the Syria conflict," adds IRC president and CEO David Miliband.

"These people are the victims of terror. As hope for the end of conflict recedes, it is all the more important to meet the most basic human needs. Sacha and Isla's donation is a great expression of humanity, and a challenge to do more for the most vulnerable. I hope it is an example to many others seeking practical ways of making a difference during the Christmas and New Year season."


Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/AFP/Getty Images.

Many people have asked themselves how they can help refugees. Here's one great example.

It's something that around the holidays seems to be more on the minds of people than ever. Both Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee are well-known, respected charities making a difference in the lives of those living in and around war-torn parts of the world. While most of us don't have $1 million to donate like Baron Cohen and Fisher, even a few dollars can help make a big difference.

You can donate to Save the Children by clicking here.

You can donate to International Rescue Committee by clicking here.