Hollywood actress/activist Susan Sarandon is on Lesbos to witness the refugee crisis first-hand. She arrived on Thursday with the goal of drawing attention to the situation so that the world can understand the depth of the crisis.

“The international community must see what is happening in this corner of the world,” she said, pointing out the size of the problem that most of the world can’t fathom in the belief that it ‘somebody else’

Sarandon met with volunteers and members of non-governmental organizations. She said, “As a mother of three children I completely understand what it means to be forced to be a mother with children running away from war and squalor to reach the coast and be forced to make this travel only because you must survive. Let’s hope that very soon the countries that do not participate in the effort to save all these people will do so.”

The actress is visiting the east coast of the island where the boats with migrants arrive on the island. Her main focus was the children, helping them change their soaked clothes.

Little Semihan from Iran, aged 5, broke out in tears while being held in Sarandon’s arms. “Have courage! You’ll make it!” she told the child’s parents. “I cannot imagine how desperate you have to be to get into such a boat… This here before us seems rather safe, but I’ve seen others fall apart and people throw their possessions overboard and risk drowning.”

Sarandon will remain on the island to help the volunteers in the reception of migrants.