Turkish charity builds homes in Idlib, NW Syria

By Cem Genco

HATAY, Turkey (AA) - Needy and war-hit families in northwestern Syria on Thursday began to move into briquette dwellings built by the Turkey-based Besir Foundation.

The relief organization erected at least 180 briquette homes in the Idlib region in an effort to provide better living conditions for Syrians who previously had to survive in makeshift tents.

Salih Kayabekir, the foundation's social aid specialist, told Anadolu Agency that efforts to build the necessary infrastructure for the houses were ongoing.

"There are living and master bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and toilets in the houses that are an average 40 square meters (430 square feet)," said Kayabekir.

Syria has been ravaged by civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.

The area has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its allies.

It is currently home to 4 million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces throughout the war-weary country.