A Pakistani aid association distributed winter clothing to the Syrians in western Turkey Thursday.

Founded by Pakistanis in the western province of Aydın, the Felah Association handed out coats to 150 children in the province.

Fakhrul Islam, the head of the association, told reporters that it is a human duty to help people struggling against hard living conditions. "We observed that children need clothing in particular. Turkey deserves the biggest appreciation here. They have shown incredible support to the Syrian refugees since the beginning," he said.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Bashar Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed or displaced in the conflict, mainly by regime airstrikes targeting opposition-held areas.