The United States will rescue as many as 10,000 Syrians over the next year, the White House said today. President Barack Obama has directed his national security team to begin preparations to 'scale up' the number of Syrian refugees the country is accepting, his spokesman said today. The new goal is 'ambitious' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, but the president and his team believe they can meet it over the next fiscal year. This year the U.S. took in just 1,500 Syrians fleeing the violence wrought by ISIS in their home country. The United States' intake paled in comparison to that of Gulf countries and some European countries, leading some international actions - and senators from the president's party - to pressure Obama to do more.This year the U.S. took in just 1,500 Syrians fleeing the violence wrought by ISIS in their home countryUnited States' intake paled in comparison to that of Gulf countries and some European countriesU.S. has given $4 billion to foreign governments bearing the brunt of the crisis and non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian aid
That is why he said the _ remains focused on meeting the 'most urgent immediate' needs of the refugees - basic medical care, shelter and food and water - and addressing other concerns like schooling for the wandering children.