Yusuf Islam releases new single, plans charity show for child refugees

Yusuf Islam, the British musician formerly known as Cat Stevens, released a new single on Wednesday and is scheduled to perform a London charity concert in support of Syrian child refugees later this month.

"It was difficult to stand by just watching this tragedy without trying to do something," the musician said on the website of his charity, Small Kindness.

"I simply decided to help humanise the narrative and lend my voice to the call for keeping hearts and doors open to every refugee, especially youngsters, who have lost what future they might have once hoped for,” he said.

“While the world faces incomprehensible numbers and statistics created by the refugee crisis, the tragedy and story of a single soul gets missed."

The artist was inspired to write his new single, "He Was Alone," after visiting refugees in a camp on the Turkish border with Syria in April, the Evening Standard reported.