A Turkish nongovernmental organization (NGO), the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH), distributed 270 million loaves of bread to families in need, in efforts to lend a helping hand to Syrian refugees.
İHH Syrian studies media director Selim Tosun told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the foundation continues to provide bread to Syrian families. Stating that there are bakery ovens in its logistics center in Hatay's Reyhanlı district, Turkey's border city of Kilis and various parts of Syria, Tosun said they are continuing to produce loaves of breads in bakeries.
"In these ovens, we produce loaves of bread with longer storage value for war conditions, as well as bread suitable for the palates of families. A total of 270 million loaves were delivered to families last year," Tosun said.
Tosun explained that in the context of Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria's Afrin, they sent daily bread to the families rescued from the People's Protection Units (YPG) in the city center of Afrin and neighboring villages.
"Loaves of bread were also distributed to Hama, Idlib, Homs, Aleppo and the camps close to the Turkish border," he noted.
Last week, the İHH, along with another NGO, Fetih-Der, provided 80 families that could not find shelter following the floods with tents. Last week, 25,000 civilians lost shelter due to floods caused by heavy rain. The families were also provided food, blankets, carpets and clothes suitable for winter conditions.
Since Dec. 22, at least 22 refugee camps were flooded, and 67 others were badly affected by heavy rains in the Atmeh camps region, according to data collected by the Syria Intervention Coordinators, a local NGO devoted to helping civilians.
At least 220 tents were destroyed and 550 tents were flooded. No casualties were reported as a result of the flooding, but livestock reportedly perished.
In September, the İHH also sent over 20 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria's Idlib.
The foundation has also helped around 3 million needy people across the world during the Muslim festival of Kurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) by distributing meat to millions worldwide. Along with Syria, the IHH focuses on impoverished or war-torn countries including Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, Yemen and Bangladesh, as well as regions such as the Rakhine State in Myanmar and East Turkestan.
