LONDON -- Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch has made an emotional plea urging people to help the thousands of children caught up in the refugee crisis.
In a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, the actor recites sections of a poem by the Somali-British writer Warsan Shire.
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well...
you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
Addressing the refugees, Cumberbatch says: "We see you, we hear you and help is coming."
The actor's plea on behalf of Save the Children ties in with the release of charity single "Help is Coming" by Crowded House to raise funds for food, water, medicine, shelter and psychological support for refugee children.
There are currently more than 4 million Syrian refugees displaced throughout various countries. The number of global refugees and internally displaced people is at its highest point since World War II.