Turkish charity aids refugees in Bosnia-Herzegovina

By Ayse Yıldız

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - As part of its ongoing charity efforts worldwide, the Turkish Red Crescent gave a helping hand to refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina with nine trucks of aid in 2018.

It also provided more than 300 tents in different sizes, 10,000 blankets, 1,000 kitchen sets and two mobile kitchens for the refugees waiting at the northwestern cities of the country with a hope to cross to Europe.

Ibrahim Altan, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, said the number of refugees in the region has surged recently.

“There are thousands of refugees in the region. Our team continues to its aid activities there,” he said.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has found itself in the middle of a migrant crisis, with the government decrying a lack of funds.

After the Balkan route -- through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary or Croatia -- was closed to refugees in March 2016, many migrants chose Bosnia and Herzegovina as an alternative route.

Altan also urged the citizens to continue their donations.

“As long as they support us, we can deliver the aid to the places our citizens cannot reach," said Altan.

- Thousands of aid trucks sent to Syria

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since March 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Altan said that the Turkish Red Crescent delivered 43,000 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to Syria so far.

"We have 12 orphanages in Syria. Now, we are preparing for a permanent shelter out of the tents”, he added.

The charity group has had aid activities in 147 countries so far, Altan stated.