Beirut , Lebanon ( CNN ) -- Syria needs lots of things right now . One of them is George Clooney . Let me explain . As the Geneva II talks this week made clear , there is no end in sight for the bloody three-year war in Syria . In the meantime , more than 100,000 people have been killed , the country is destroyed , and millions of Syrians have fled their homes , half of them children . This is the defining war and humanitarian crisis of this decade , which was underscored by my visit to Syrian refugees here this week . And yet there is no outcry from the broader rich-country public to end the suffering there . To the extent that the media cover Syria , it is a diplomatic and political story . My media contacts say they need a `` fresh angle '' on the humanitarian aspect of Syria in order to get it covered . My friends on Capitol Hill say they 're hearing nothing about Syria from their constituents , after a surge of opposition to the idea of punitive airstrikes this summer . My fellow fundraisers share my frustration that we ca n't get much traction with donors around Syria . Contrast that to a major natural disaster like the recent typhoon in the Philippines . When a catastrophic , photogenic act of God kills thousands of people and makes millions more homeless in an instant , news crews get mobilized , benefit concerts get arranged , the public gets generous , and the needs on the ground get met . But what if the killer is a complex , drawn-out , difficult-to-cover war with no clear good guys and bad guys , as it is in Syria ? Well , those people need George Clooney . Here 's one example of why : Mercy Corps , the global humanitarian organization I work for , raised more charitable dollars for the Philippines in three days -- about $ 1.5 million -- than we have raised for Syria in almost three years . Tragic as the typhoon was , the Philippines is on a road to rehabilitation . Syria , on the other hand , is slowly bleeding to death . 'Courage and magnetism ' We need a telethon . We need vigils . We need letters to members of Congress . Of course that kind of activism alone is n't going to end the war and get Syrians everything they need , but it is a great place to start . That 's where someone like George Clooney comes in . Clooney is a rare public figure with the credibility , courage , and magnetism to take an urgent , complicated issue and make it matter to Americans . To be clear , I am suggesting that Syria needs George Clooney more figuratively than literally . The authentic involvement of cultural icons helps form a movement , and that makes Syria more than some distant quagmire . Some shared sense of urgency and ownership is critical to breaking the horrific stasis of the situation in and around Syria , a situation that is perpetuated in part by the rich-world public generally sitting Syria out . Sometimes when I have this conversation with someone , they 'll ask why people should get engaged on issues overseas when there are so many problems at home in the United States . It 's an important point , but keep in mind that of all the charitable donations Americans made in 2012 , only 6 % went to international causes . Aid workers are often dismissive of entertainers who get involved in their causes , and there are plenty of cases of unhelpful dabbling . But look at George Clooney and Don Cheadle on Darfur . Angelina Jolie on refugees . Ben Affleck on Congo . Bono on just about everything . These celebrities , when working in partnership with policymakers , companies , philanthropists , and aid groups on the ground , can become the hugely powerful advocates that desperate people need . Like the people I met this week at the Ouzaii Collective Center in southern Lebanon . These 153 families fled Syria with little and are living packed together in an unfinished office building . Cinder blocks . Exposed rebar . Dodgy wiring . Limited water and sanitation . No glass in the windows . No school , no privacy , and no end in sight . They are totally dependent on the generosity of others , and yet neither charitable nor government funds are sufficient to meet their needs right now . Right now , the people of Syria need powerful friends to speak up , and George Clooney - so often the hero , on-screen and off - could call together the voices of support that these people so deserve . The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeremy Barnicle .
There is no-end in sight for Syria 's bloody war , writes Mercy Corps ' Jeremy Barnicle . And yet there is no outcry from richer countries to end suffering there , he says . Mercy Corps ' raised more for Syria victims in three years than Typhoon Haiyan in three years . Jeremy Barnicle says celebrities like Clooney can be powerful advocates for people in need .