European Turks deliver food aid to migrants in Bosnia

By Lejla Biogradlija and Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A Turkish community in Europe on Friday distributed food aid to migrants struggling to survive under severe conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the aid by the European Turks Community (ATT) was delivered to nearly 1,000 migrants staying in the Lipa refugee camp near the northern city of Bihac.

ATT board member Kadir Apaydin said they organized a campaign to buy food and it was supported by Turkish people from different regions of Europe who were willing to help migrants in need of food.

"Some of the migrants do not have shoes. We observed weight loss in almost all of them due to lack of food," said Apaydin.

He added that the immigrants need urgent help, especially warm food, and that the ATT will continue to provide aid.

The Lipa migrant camp, located near the city of Bihac, became largely unusable after a fire on Dec. 23, 2020.

Although the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina planned to relocate more than 1,000 immigrants staying in the camp to barracks near the city of Konjic, this did not happen due to the reaction of the local people.

Later, large military tents were set up by the armed forces in the Lipa camp location, so that the immigrants are not exposed.

With the arrival of winter, the living conditions are getting worse and the immigrants struggle with both cold and rainy weather as well as other difficulties, particularly insufficient amounts of food.