News The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced this Friday (4 September) plans to make a US$2 million fund available immediately for sports projects amidst the growing refugee crisis in the Middle East, Africa and Europe  Speaking about the fund, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We have all been touched by the terrible news and the heartbreaking stories in the past few days With this terrible crisis unfolding across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, sport and the Olympic Movement wanted to play its part in bringing humanitarian help to the refugees We made a quick decision that we needed to take action and to make this fund available immediately ”Bach highlighted the valuable role that sport can play in easing the plight of refugees The IOC has been working in partnership with the UNCHR (the United Nations’ Refugee Agency) over the last two decades on sports programmes that have helped thousands of refugees around the world  National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and other interested parties have been asked to submit applications for projects to help refugees “Because of the nature of the crisis, the assessment of projects and the distribution of funds will be carried out extremely quickly We are able to work on the ground with our partners in the National Olympic Committees and the expert agencies to get help to where it is needed most urgently,” explained Bach  The fund itself is comprised of $1 million from the IOC and a further $1 million from Olympic Solidarity – an organisation set up to support NOCs  Follow the IOC on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube