Nebraska towns, agencies accepting refugees from Syria

LINCOLN, Neb. -- At least four Nebraska agencies have pledged to help some of the thousands of refugees expected to come to America as a result of persecution and genocide in Syria.

Anne C. Richard of the U.S. State Department said the United States had resettled nearly 70,000 refugees from nearly 70 countries around the world last year, is reviewing some 9,000 recent referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, and receives about a thousand new ones each month. The number of refugees from Syria is expected to surge in 2015 and beyond, she said, and the U.S. accepts the majority of all UNHCR referrals from around the world.

The State Department is working to place refugees in 180 cities across 49 states.

Nebraska agencies pledging to help deal with the refugees include Lutheran Refugee Services of Lincoln, Lutheran Family Services, Catholic Social Services and the Southern Sudan Community Association.

Such refugees are eligible for a full range of public assistance programs swell as refugee assistance programs.