Actors Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher recently donated one million dollars to help support Syrian refugees. Cohen is probably best known for his role as Borat in the 2006 film of the same name, while Fisher rose to fame with a role in 2005’s summer comedy Wedding Crashers. The couple, who married in 2010, split the donation between the UK based charity Save the Children, and the New York based charity International Rescue Committee. 

Save the Children will receive $500,000, which will be used to fund a vaccination program. They hope to vaccinate upwards of 250,000 children, with the goal of fighting a potential measles outbreak in northern Syria. 

The rest of the money will be used in support work, “with a special concern for women and children, both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries who are suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict. The money will go towards education, health care, shelter, and sanitation”. 

Save the Children estimates that “around 12,000 children have been killed in the conflict”. Approximately 4 million people have fled to neighbouring states, and an additional 7 million people are displaced within the war-torn country itself. Save the Children spokesperson Justin Forsyth said that children were the conflict’s “first victims”, and that “there is no safe place left in Syria”. The generous donation will go a far way to save “many thousands of lives and protect some of the most vulnerable children”. 

President and Chief Executive of the International Rescue Committee, called the donation “a great expression of humanity” and said that he hopes it sets “an example to many others seeking practical ways of making a difference during the Christmas and New Year season”. 

Donations can be made to Save the Children here. While the charity distributes money worldwide to help support a number of different children’s causes, there is an option to donate directly to the Child Refugee Crisis or the Syrian Crisis. Donations can be made to the International Rescue Committee here. The International Rescue Committee’s donation page also breaks down donation dollars, so donors can see that over 90% of each dollar goes directly to beneficial programs and services, with less than 10% going to support management and fundraising.