06.12.2013
U.S. Embassy Provides Refugee Relief Grant to the Bulgarian Red Cross
On December 6, Ambassador Marcie B. Ries announced a Julia Taft Refugee Fund grant to the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) to support Bulgaria’s efforts to address the influx of asylum seekers.
The grant will fund food, medical, and interpretation services that the BRC will provide to particularly vulnerable groups of asylum seekers at the refugee centers in Sofia, including single mothers, families with persons with disabilities, the elderly, and large families. This grant is intended to complement the work currently being performed by the BRC to care for the most vulnerable members of displaced populations. In awarding the $25,000 grant, Ambassador Ries discussed with Bulgarian Red Cross President Hristo Grigorov the importance of tolerance and respect for the human rights and dignity of all people.
The United States is the largest supporter of refugees globally and has provided more than $1 billion this year alone to the UNHCR to fund operations around the world, including Bulgaria. The Julia Taft Refugee Fund is a small grants resource managed by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) that U.S. ambassadors can tap to respond to humanitarian needs of refugees. The BRC is a humanitarian volunteer organization committed to providing support to vulnerable people and victims of crisis and disasters in order to improve their life and relieve their suffering.