Ben Stiller Testifies to Senate Foreign Relations Committee On the War in Syria

Ben Stiller came to Washington D.C. Wednesday and testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, sharing intimate details about the families he met while imploring the US to continue their assistance.

The famed actor and director, most known for his hilarious roles in “Something about Mary”, “Meet the Parents” and others, has taken a more serious turn in his career in the last few years, splitting his time off-camera as a director and working as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Through his work with the agency, Stiller has traveled “around the world” meeting with refugees, including to host countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Germany.

While his testimony was largely somber, the comedian couldn’t help but open up with a joke.

“It’s great to be here in person, I watch you all on television all the time,” Stiller said.

“You all look much taller in person,” he quipped.

He told the committee about the “frightening” and “traumatic” stories he’s heard from the people who fled their war-torn homes only to settle in neighboring countries that provide little work and education opportunities, furthering their struggle even in times of “peace.”

Stiller described a family of four he met in Lebanon who have been desperately moving around in search for work since they fled their home in Syria eight years ago when the conflict first began.

The family is trying to sell one of their kidneys on Facebook for extra cash and recently considered selling their newborn baby to “help make ends meet.”

“[It] sheds light on the family’s desperate circumstances,” Stiller said.

“But for being born in a different country, it could well be me and not them sitting in a small, cold, makeshift shelter… these people have lost everything.”

Stiller explained how the size of the refugee population has further splintered the already fragile economic and political ecosystems of the countries hosting refugees. He asked the committee to ensure refugees have access to work, health services, livelihood opportunities, education for their children and “long term structural support” so refugees can contribute to their new communities and not sit idly by collecting aid.

“The United States has been the most generous donor to many humanitarian crises, including the Syria situation,” Stiller said.

“I urge you to maintain this generosity.”

“We must not look away, we cannot let Syrian families go deeper into destitution and we cannot let their children be part of a lost generation,” he went on.

He also asked the committee to ensure aid agencies have “unhindered access” to areas of return inside of Syria so when families do decide to go home, agencies will be there to assist them.

Since Civil War in Syria began eight years ago, more than a half million Syrians have been killed and nearly 6 million have become refugees, including 3 million children.

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