Turkish aid organizations have lined up to lend a helping hand to refugees after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding and destroyed tents at 11 camps in rural areas of northern Syria.
Kadir Akgündüz, the Turkish Red Crescent's Syria field coordinator, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they had begun preparations in coordination with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) soon after they learned about the flood in Syria's Idlib. Akgündüz said the first batch of aid included blankets, beds, canned foods and tents which were sent from nearby Turkish provinces of Gaziantep and Hatay.
Selim Tosun, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation's (İHH) media advisor in Syria, told AA that they sent immediate needs such as blankets, winter clothes, boots and tents.
"However, there are so many victims, for this reason we expect our donor's support," Tosun said, adding that they had only 800 tents which they were planning to pitch in areas not affected by flooding.
İsmail Yiğit, the regional manager of Turkey's Diyanet Foundation (TDV) said more than 5,000 families were affected by the heavy flooding. "We are setting up our tents to meet the needs of 150 families in our rain resistant camps and we continue to distribute blankets, stoves, tents and fuel to victims," Yiğit said.
According to information compiled by AA correspondents in Syria, the flood has left an estimated 25,000 refugees searching for shelter at other camps.
No casualties have yet been reported as a result of the flooding, but numerous heads of livestock have reportedly perished.
Requests for emergency assistance have so far been received from the Atme, Qah, Omar and Khirbat al-Jawz refugee camps in the northwestern Latakia province.
