Pakistani agency gives 130,000 breads to Syrians daily

By Faruk Zorlu and Sorwar Alam

ANKARA (AA) - Pakistan-based Baitussalam Welfare Trust has been handing out nearly 130,000 loaves of bread a day to Syrians in Euphrates Shield area since May 2017, head of operations of the charity said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency about its activities in Syria, Mansoor Raja said one of the biggest projects put into practice is the bread factory.

"We are running this project with [Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority] AFAD at the AFAD's logistic center in Cobanbey towns of Syria’s northeastern Aleppo province," Raja noted.

A total of 35 people are working in the factory and most of them are Syrian, Raja added indicating that the project provides jobs to Syrians.

The Pakistani aid agency has been working for the Syrian crisis since Jan. 2017 in cooperation with Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Turkiye Diyanet Foundation and Turkish Red Crescent, he said.

A total of 30 ambulances have been donated with the help of Pakistani people to support humanitarian efforts in Syria, he noted.

Additionally, many other projects related to shelter and education have been realized in the last 21 months.

So far, around 1.5 million garments, 6,000 tents and 65,000 blankets have been donated to the Syrian people, he added.

Concentrating more on educational projects for Syrian people, he said: "We are running two schools inside Syria with the help of Turkiye Diyanet Foundation and looking forward to establishing more schools with AFAD and Turkish government."

In 2010, Baitussalam Welfare Trust was founded in Pakistan's port city of Karachi.