Syrian Refugees Give Back to Canada During Fire

You know a humanitarian crisis is bad when the victims of another humanitarian crisis pitch in to help.

That’s exactly what’s happening in Canada, where Syrian refugees are donating to help Canadians who, due to the massive wildfire in Alberta, have become internally displaced. Grateful for Canada’s hospitality, the Syrians see it as a way of giving back.

“It’s not easy to lose everything. We can understand them more than anyone in Canada. We were in the same situation,” Rita Khanchet, a Syrian resident of Canada, told the Calgary Herald.

The donations started when Khanchet posted a Facebook message exhorting other Syrians in Canada to help. A friend reposted it on the page of the Syrian Refugee Support Group, and soon the support group for Syrians was supporting native Canadians.

As Saima Jamal, a co-founder of the Group, told the Calgary Herald, “All the Syrians are saying, ‘I’m ready to give, I’m ready to give.’”

With donations of whatever they can afford—some just $5 or $10—the new Canadians are doing just that.