Obama Says the US Should Plan to Take in 10,000 Syrian Refugees Next Year

Read: We Asked an Expert Whether Britain's Secret Drone Strike in Syria Was Legal

President Obama has told his administration to gear up for 10,000 Syrian refugees to arrive in the US next year.

Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, described the effort as a way to "further scale up our response" to war in Syria, reports ABC. With a relentless stream of refugees needing aid, 10,000 is only a small portion—but it's a start.

"We know the scale of the problem," Earnest acknowledged. "It's significant. And there are millions of people who have been driven from their homes because of this violence."

Recent UN figures estimate that the war in Syria has killed 250,000 people and displaced an additional 15 million. UNICEF reveals that 2.8 million children are out of school. In total, 7.8 million require humanitarian aide.

Earnest said the "most effective" way the US can combat the problem is by providing financial aid for basic necessities—food, water, medical supplies, and education.

Other countries also have announced efforts to let in more Syrian refugees. Yesterday, Australia's Prime Minister said 12,000 refugees would be allowed in the country by the end of 2015, while the UK will accept 20,000 of them by 2020.

In the United States, the cap for the number of refugees visas currently rests at 70,000. On Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry said he would like to see that number increased to as many as 100,000 next year.

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