Threatened Syrian Humanitarian Crisis Focus of Oct. 8 Newsmaker

While the international community focuses on securing Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal, another ticking time bomb – this one humanitarian – is threatening millions of refugees who have fled the fighting and taken refuge in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. Their presence is straining the resources of these countries, heightening tensions in the region.

That's the subject of a Club Newsmaker event scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the Bloomberg Room.

Sen. Robert Casey, Jr., D-Pa., a member of the Senate National Security Working Group and sponsor of the Syria Democratic Transition Act of 2013; and Neal Keny-Guyer, chief executive of Mercy Corps, the leading responder to the Syria crisis, will discuss the situation on the ground and humanitarian efforts underway, as well as concrete steps needed to re-orient international aid in order to effectively meet the needs of the worst humanitarian crisis in decades.