IOC pledges to donate USD 2m to help ease migrant crisis

Extending a helping hand to distressed refugees, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday pledged to donate two million dollars to help ease the burgeoning humanitarian crisis in Europe.

National Olympic committees will be asked to submit projects for the fund to help refugees, which will be made available immediately.

Germany came under spotlight as thousands of refugees, especially from Syria have crossed into the country through Hungary and Austria and is expected to receive 800,000 asylum seekers this year.

Maintaining that sports can ease the plight of refugees especially children, IOC president Thomas Bach said that they had been touched by the terrible news and the heartbreaking stories in the past few days, the Guardian reported.

Bach further said that in view of growing crisis unfolding across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, the Olympic Movement wanted to play its part in bringing humanitarian help to the refugees.

Earlier on Thursday, German champions Bayern Munich had vowed to donate one million euros in addition to setting up a training camp for those coming into Munich.