Damascus represented a rich and bustling culture before 2011, showcased by swamped markets and colorful buildings packed tightly in the narrow streets. However, after a ravaging civil war between a long-standing government family and those who wished to remove them from power, Damascus and the surrounding area has been reduced to gray rubble with its people desperately searching for a fresh start. For many, that new beginning will lie in Europe, where Syrian refugees are seeking hostel from the war that turned their lives upside down.

In recent months, the European Union has increased their support of those afflicted by this war. According to syrianrefugees.eu, a collaboration between university and migration policy centers, member states have pledge to resettle 33,000 Syrians, with 85% of those spots pledged by Germany. While that equates to only around 150,000 refugees, the impact that the European Union is having will cement itself in the books of history.

What has made this refugee crisis especially attention grabbing this month has been the circulation of a photo of a young Syrian boy lying motionless on a Turkish beach. He is laying face down, still in his small red tee shirt and sneakers. The photo has rocked the world to its core, bringing renewed conversation about displaced Syrians as refugees, not migrants, due to the dangerous conditions.

During his visit to the U.S., Pope Francis rebuked Congressional Republicans on Sept. 24 for their lack of compassion for the refugees.

According to the government site US Aid.gov, the U.S. has provided $4 billion in assistance to Syrian refugees since 2011.