#alternate alternate alternate alternate [view-mobile-icon.png] View mobile site January 13, 2016 Huffpost Impact Edition: U.S. (BUTTON) Show/Hide + عربي (Arabic) AR + Australia AU + Brasil BR + Canada CA + Deutschland DE + España ES + France FR + Ελλάδα (Greece) GR + India IN + Italia IT + 日本 (Japan) JP + 한국 (Korea) KR + Maghreb MG + United Kingdom UK + United States US * * Follow * Newsletters Get ImpactNewsletters Email address ____________________ [ ] Enter Email Address Go * * iOS app * Android app * More * Desktop Alerts * Log in * Create Account $USERNAME + Desktop Notifications + Profile + Settings + Logout * FRONT PAGE * Politics o Donald Trump Endures Most Painful Insult Yet On The Campaign Trail 20 o GOP Rep. Just Found Out He Invited Kim Davis To The State Of The Union 7 o Hillary Clinton Isn't Holding Back Against Bernie Sanders Anymore 62 o Here's Every Line That Kim Davis Applauded At The State Of The Union 11 o Biden Says Obama Offered Him Money During Son's Illness 13 Go to Politics More in Politics o Pollster o Election Maps o '16 And President o Trail To The Chief You Might Also Like o WorldPost o Green o Black Voices o Latino Voices o Gay Voices * Business o 14 Things You Could Buy With The $1.5 Billion Powerball Jackpot 2 o There Are Now More Solar Jobs In America Than Oil Jobs 2 o 12 Time Management Tips Successful People Live By 0 o How Intel Eliminated War From Its Supply Chain 0 o Carlos A. Osorio: Why I Stopped Filling Out Job Applications 37 Go to Business More in Business o Small Biz o Money You Might Also Like o WorldPost o Tech o Media o Arts o Sports o Weird News o Smarter Ideas o Urban Progress * Entertainment o This Final Photo Of David Bowie Will Put A Huge Smile On Your Face 1 o Conan's Tribute To David Bowie Will Change How You Remember Him 0 o Adele Singing Karaoke To Adele Songs Is Just So Epic It Hurts 1 o Church Bells Ring Out 'Space Oddity' In Spine-Tingling David Bowie Tribute 1 o David Bowie Reportedly Battled Liver Cancer Before His Death 0 Go to Entertainment More in Entertainment o Celebrity o TV You Might Also Like o Comedy o Arts o Books o Food o Style o Weird News o Moviefone * WorldPost o Pentagon: 2 U.S. Navy Boats Held By Iran But Will Be Returned 6 o Inside The Unbelievable Arrest Of El Chapo 3 o Explosion In Istanbul Tourist District Kills At Least 10 2 o Iran Frees 10 Detained U.S. Sailors 4 o South Korea Fires Warning Shots At UFO Suspected Of Being A North Korean Drone 0 Go to WorldPost More in WorldPost o Foreign Affairs o Drug War o Afghanistan o Syria Conflict o World Videos You Might Also Like o Travel o Politics o Business o Tech o Religion * Tech o No Woman Should Be Asked These Questions During A Job Interview 0 o How To Use Peach, Your New Social Media Obsession 0 o Swarm Of 100 Drones Dance To Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 5' In The Night Sky 0 o Watch What Happens To Your Phone When You Have Millions Of Instagram Fans 0 o Facebook Is Killing Phone Numbers, And That's OK 0 Go to Tech More in Tech o TEDWeekends o Social Media You Might Also Like o Small Biz o Green o Science o NY o SF o Smarter Ideas o TechCrunch o Engadget * Education o Kosta Petrov: Meet the Founder of Brainster -- the Platform That Strives to Start a Revolution in Education 0 Go to Education More in Education o Education Reform o Teachers o Bullying o Ed-Lection 2012 o Financial Education You Might Also Like o College o Teen o Impact o Parents o Healthy Living * College o White Student Pleads Guilty To Threatening Black People On Yik Yak In Missouri 0 o Another College Takes Back Bill Cosby Honorary Degree 0 o David Cahn: Clinton's Sexism Problem 0 o The Real Winners And Losers Of College Football’s Postseason 0 o These Are The States Where College Students Are Hardest Hit By Tuition Hikes 0 Go to College More in College o College Rankings o Majoring In Debt o Hazing o Dream Act You Might Also Like o Teen o Sports o Comedy o Parents * Good News o Store’s Heartwarming Response To Customer’s Coat Return Goes Viral 1 o This Kitty's Disability Makes Her All The More Irresistible 0 o David Bowie's Response To First US Fan Mail Shows How Truly Humble He Was 0 o Man Gives The Shirt Off His Back To Shivering Stranger On NYC Subway 4 o Police Surprise Hungry Elderly Man With Month’s Supply Of Groceries 0 Go to Good News You Might Also Like o GPS for the Soul o Weird News o Comedy o Impact o Green o Healthy Living o Comedy o Books o Arts * Women o Woman Redefines 'Bikini Body' In Perfectly Honest Facebook Post 15 o See How Our Country Is Failing Women In One Simple Map 0 o When You Make Out With A Bro At A Bar And Then He Becomes 'The Bachelor' 0 o Ciara Was Slut-Shamed For Wearing A Floor-Length Gown With A Cape 0 o This Is Why You Don't Look Up Your High School Crush On The Internet 0 Go to Women More in Women o Love & Sex o Career & Money o Women's Health You Might Also Like o Style o Weddings o Divorce o Parents o Healthy Living o Black Voices o Latino Voices * HuffPost Live Go to Huffpost Live * All Sections o News # Politics # WorldPost # Business # Media # Sports # Education # Crime # Weird News # Good News o Entertainment # Entertainment # Celebrity # Comedy # Arts & Culture # Books # TV o Life & Style # Healthy Living # GPS for the Soul # Style # Home # Taste # Weddings # Travel # Parents # Divorce # Huff/Post 50 # Marlo Thomas # OWN # Dr. Phil # Quiet Revolution # Quiet Revolution o Tech & Science # Tech # Science # Green o Voices # Women # Black Voices # Latino Voices # Voces (en español) # Gay Voices # Religion # College # Teen # Impact o Local # Chicago # DC # Denver # Detroit # Hawaii # Los Angeles # Miami # New York # San Francisco Our Mobile Apps: o iOS o Android o HuffPost Live (iOS) o GPS For The Soul (iOS) o GPS For The Soul (Android) * Impact * Impact X * Global Motherhood * Third Metric * Inspiring Leaders * What's Working: Small Businesses * What's Working: Purpose + Profit * Community Pioneer * Image for The Surprising Health Tip That Doctors And Bosses Should Recommend The Surprising Health Tip That Doctors And Bosses Should Recommend * Image for This Record Label Is Donating David Bowie Album Sales To Cancer Research This Record Label Is Donating David Bowie Album Sales To Cancer Research * Image for New Report Recommends Babies Switch To Convertible Car Seats By Age 1 New Report Recommends Babies Switch To Convertible Car Seats By Age 1 * Image for That Time David Bowie Called Out MTV For Racism That Time David Bowie Called Out MTV For Racism * Image for Parents Encourage Whooping Cough Vaccination With Touching Tribute To Son Parents Encourage Whooping Cough Vaccination With Touching Tribute To Son * Image for This Is Why You Don't Look Up Your High School Crush On The Internet This Is Why You Don't Look Up Your High School Crush On The Internet * Image for See How Our Country Is Failing Women In One Simple Map See How Our Country Is Failing Women In One Simple Map * Image for Bernie Sanders Nabs Endorsement From Major Progressive Group Bernie Sanders Nabs Endorsement From Major Progressive Group * Image for 13 Hot Dudes With Kittens To Make Your Day Better Right Meow 13 Hot Dudes With Kittens To Make Your Day Better Right Meow * Image for Viral Video Shows The Rude Ways People Treat Breastfeeding Women Viral Video Shows The Rude Ways People Treat Breastfeeding Women * Image for 15 Duets That Prove David Bowie Was A Genre-Bending Mad Genius 15 Duets That Prove David Bowie Was A Genre-Bending Mad Genius * Image for Read The Full Text Of Obama's Last State Of The Union Address Read The Full Text Of Obama's Last State Of The Union Address * Image for She Went From A Child Bride To International Inspiration She Went From A Child Bride To International Inspiration * Image for How Google's $20 Virtual Reality Device Saved A Baby Girl's Life How Google's $20 Virtual Reality Device Saved A Baby Girl's Life * Image for How Intel Eliminated War From Its Supply Chain How Intel Eliminated War From Its Supply Chain (BUTTON) Previous Story (BUTTON) Next Story THE BLOG Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors Hot on the Blog * David Stockman * Peter Salovey * Robert Reich * Shannon Watts Carolyn S. Miles Headshot Carolyn S. Miles Become a fan President & CEO, Save the Children * (BUTTON) Email * * After Fleeing Danger, Children Deserve a Warm Welcome Posted: 10/16/2015 11:01 am EDT Updated: 10/16/2015 11:59 am EDT + + Share + Tweet + + Email + Comment + Share on Google+ + tumblr + reddit Print 2015-10-16-1445007607-2062357-CarolynGreece.jpeg Photo by Stuart Sia/Save the Children I am just back from the island of Lesvos in the southeastern part of Greece, where I was visiting our programs for refugees who have made the perilous crossing from Turkey. It is a surreal experience: on the one hand a beautiful island with lovely small towns where vacationers from Europe flock in the summer months; on the other hand, a beach strewn with deflated rafts, substandard lifejackets and water bottles, with soaked families huddled together after a rough journey across the strait from Turkey. This far-flung island off of Greece is now the first landing point for thousands of refugees fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The trip can be deadly for children. The night I arrived in Lesvos, a one-year-old died in the chaos when he fell into the middle of an overcrowded raft packed with more than 30 people. In the dark, the baby drowned in a few feet of water before his mother could find him in the jumble of people. As I sat and talked to families waiting in line for a bus which would take them down the coast to the registration camp, I was struck by the enormous hardships these families had endured along the way - and the fact that this is only their first stop in a long journey through Europe's many borders. Many had been first displaced in their own countries by conflict, often living for years under fire, experiencing danger and violence on a regular basis. Finally they felt unable to endure another day of fear, lack food or medical services and no school for their children. They had all made the difficult decision to use all their remaining resources to try to start new lives in Europe. Their journeys through Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and other routes were often marred by tragedy. One mother and grandmother cried as they described to me leaving behind a 9-year-old boy who was separated at the Lebanon/Turkey border and was denied a visa to cross with them. Another young mother told me about the birth of her 14-day-old baby while they were in Iran -- on the way to Turkey from Iraq -- with no hospital or help available. Despite her advanced pregnancy, she and her husband were forced to flee from ISIS and a life of constant danger. And parent after parent told me that their children had now been out of school for years and they needed to give them their future back. In the face of this massive wave of people (more than 160,000 reached Lesvos in the month of September alone), Save the Children has been working to make lives easier. Rather than enduring the 40-mile walk, often in brutal temperatures, from where the boats land to the registration camp, Save the Children and other partners have rented buses to take families down the mountainous road. Once at the camp, we distribute hygiene kits and blankets for mothers and children who come with almost nothing but will be facing Europe's cold winter temperatures. We have our signature child-friendly space set up so that kids can spend even a few hours playing games, getting colorful drawings painted on to their faces. These spaces bring a smile to a child that has often not smiled for many months. We also look for those children having the hardest time coping and refer them for more help. And each afternoon, we supply a cooked meal to over 3,000 people -- often the only meal they may get that day. The young staff here from all over the world are tremendously hard working, living together and working all hours seven days a week - they seem to never stop thinking about ways they can make our work better and respond to ever-changing demands. As those fleeing war and persecution continue to arrive, we must all remain committed to meeting their needs to the best of our ability -- so that these children don't have to spend more of their young lives in fear. I am struck by one little boy I met on Lesvos named Hassan, who told me that what he wanted more than anything was to have a home again, and to not be scared. Surely this most basic request is not too much for a little boy, only 8, to ask of us. Follow Carolyn S. Miles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/carolynsave More: Syria Refugees Greece Children World Click here to view Conversations Conversations Suggested For You FOLLOW HUFFPOST * (BUTTON) Email Email Address Email Address_______ [ ] Sign me up! Please check the checkbox to indicate your consent Options [X] The Morning Email [X] Innovation Brief Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day. Newsletters may offer personalized content or advertisements. Learn more. * (BUTTON) Facebook + HuffPost Impact * (BUTTON) Twitter + HuffPost Follow Impact Follow * (BUTTON) Google Plus + HuffPost Impact * (BUTTON) RSS + Most Popular on HuffPost + Latest News + Impact + All RSS / Feeds * (BUTTON) Phone + Available on the App Store + Android App on Google Play + Get it at Blackberry App World + Advertise + Log In + Make HuffPost your Home Page + RSS + Careers + FAQ + User Agreement + Privacy + Comment Policy + About Us + About Our Ads + Contact Us + Archive Copyright ©2016 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. 2016© Part of AOL Lifestyle Use this form to alert a HuffPost editor about a factual or typographical error in this story. Notify message * Required * ____________________ * ____________________ * What kind of error is this? [Choose an option__________] * What is the correction? 0 count Describe the error her ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ * Type the words below so we know you are not a cyborg [ ] Sign me up for The Morning Email Send Thanks for your report!