Turkish agency sends 25 aid truckloads daily to Syria

By Kerem Kocalar

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AA) - The Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) continues to send dozens of truckloads of aid daily to needy people in northern Syria, said a Kizilay official on Saturday.

More than 4 million Syrians – over 1 million out of them living in camps -- are still in need in the northern part of the country, said Alper Kucuk, the group’s deputy director general, in the southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria.

“The Turkish Red Crescent is still aiding Syrians with around 25 truckloads of aid deliveries on a daily basis. Food and personal care supplies are foremost among the aid.”

Turkey is the only hope for Syrians living in the northern part of the country, said Kucuk.

Though nearly eight years have passed since the war in Syria began, Turks still donate a great deal to the Syrian people, he added.

The Kizilay official also pointed to the region’s need for infrastructure, electricity, and schools.

“We’re working hand in hand with other state bodies in the field,” he said.

“What we want is for peace to reign across the entire region, people living in peace, and those who want to returning to their country,” Kucuk added.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

Turkey hosts over 3.5 million refugees from the Syrian war, more than any other nation in the world.