Refugees--Syrian--United States--2000-2020]]>
In 2015, a media studies graduate of the University at Buffalo produced a message to the world about Syrian citizens fleeing oppression in their country. Documentary filmmaker Akrom Shipley, a Syrian American, had accompanied his father and sister on a journey to refugee camps in Jordan.

These two reports by WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg deal with Shipley's plea for Americans to understand the plight of Syrian children who lost fathers in the Syrian civil war. "With losing their fathers," he said, "they lost a sense of their childhood."

Rebel groups. with support from NATO, had taken up arms fighting the oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad. Russia and Iran were providing arms to Assad. The death toll of the Syrian civil war is estimated to be as high as 617,910. Civilian deaths alone are believed to number more than 306,000.

Shipley said the ultimate goal of the Syrian migrants "isn't just to flood our borders and take our jobs." He said their goal is to "rebuild hope and return home."

Rich Newberg also presented a story of two Syrian brothers who made it to Buffalo and were able to bring their wives and children to safety in the Queen City. They said their city in Syria had been leveled by bombs and fighting.]]> Newberg, Rich]]> Hill, Ahmir]]> eng]]>