Bosnian aid group helps 45,000 Syrian families

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Bosnian humanitarian aid group Merhamet announced on Tuesday it had helped 45,000 needy families in Syria by collecting and sending 121 tons of meat from as far away as Australia.

According to a statement, meat collected in an aid campaign during Eid al-Adha in the beginning of September was distributed to the struggling families in Syria with the help of Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

It was noted that the meat was collected in a charity campaign in Australia, where there is an intensive Bosnian diaspora.

Merhamet so far provided 500 tons of meat to the Syrian people over the last four years.

Group president Hajdrudin Sahic thanked those Bosnians who shared the pain of Syrian families and had supported the campaign.

Bosnia-Herzegovina faced similar conditions Syria is now confronting about 20 years ago when it was torn apart by a brutal three-year civil war.