Sheppie Abramowitz, a political insider who became a powerful ally for refugees around the world, died on April 7 in Washington. She was 88.

For more than five decades, Ms. Abramowitz was active in movements to solve refugee crises — in Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey and Kosovo. She used her deep knowledge of government officials, logistics and the struggles of those fleeing war and oppressive governments to secure real relief. Her husband, Morton I. Abramowitz, was a U.S. ambassador, and she became his humanitarian adjunct, bringing her knowledge to bear when they returned to Washington from abroad.

Ms. Abramowitz established a Washington office for the International Rescue Committee, and became its vice president. She retired from the IRC in 2009.

She is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren and brother, Philip Glass, the composer