Thanks To One Celebrity Couple Thousands Of Refugee Children Will Be Vaccinated Against Measles

Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and actress Isla Fisher have donated one million dollars to help Syrian refugees.

In a stunning display of generosity to wind up the year, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and actress Isla Fisher have decided to end the holiday season by donating one million dollars to help Syrian refugees. It’s an extremely generous gesture that could save thousands of lives, and it is an excellent example for other people who might be looking for a way to make a difference this holiday season.

According to The Guardian, the million-dollar donation was split between Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee, both of which will be using the funds to aid refugees attempting to escape the conflict in Syria.

Save the Children will be using the $500,000 donation from Fisher and Baron Cohen to pay for measles vaccinations for children in northern Syria, and chief executive Justin Forsyth says the couple’s donation would “save many thousands of lives and protect some of the most vulnerable children.”

The war in Syria has killed more than 250,000 people and forced an estimated 11 million more people to abandon their homes and flee. Forsyth told the BBC that Syria’s health system collapsed due to the conflict, and diseases like measles have come roaring back to threaten the lives of thousands of children.

The International Rescue Committee will be using the money to aid refugees in Syria and neighboring countries by helping them with access to health care, education, sanitation, and shelter.

“Sacha and Isla’s donation is a great expression of humanity, and a challenge to do more for the most vulnerable,” said International Rescue Committee head and former U.K. foreign secretary David Milliband. “I hope it is an example to many others seeking practical ways of making a difference during the Christmas and new year season.”

Save the Children also praised the actors for not making their donation anonymously, because by donating publicly Fisher and Baron Cohen generated a lot of media coverage and attention that helps even more by bringing more global attention to the refugee crisis. A person does not need to donate a million dollars to have a positive impact on the world, and their donation stands as a good example that could inspire more people to donate their time and money to help others this season.

“By allowing us to make their generous donation to Syrian children public, Sacha and Isla are helping highlight the tragedy of the issue today,” Forsyth said.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher are very rich and very famous people, and their generosity is a great example to others. It’s refreshing to see celebrities in the news for using their resources to help people who really need it, as opposed to just getting media coverage for giving each other opulent gifts or wearing fabulous clothes at fancy holiday parties.