One month after Secretary of State John Kerry’s declaration that the mass slaughter of Christians and other minorities by the Islamic State is genocide, the administration so far appears to be satisfied by checking that box, and has yet to take any new, concrete steps to help the victims.

Pope Francis, the European parliament and U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have hailed the genocide declaration as a gratifying first step, but others argue it may do little to preserve communities living on the edge of extinction if the U.S. government fails to go beyond its finding and take some action.