After eight days of waiting, STELP founder Serkan Eren received his entry permit for Syria last Wednesday. Finally, we can also help the people in Syria who have already had to endure years of suffering and destruction due to the cruel conflict in their homeland!
The earthquakes have particularly devastated the regions in the north-east of Syria where internally displaced people seek shelter. Around 4.5 million people currently live in opposition-controlled areas. The region around Idlib was hit hard. Warm winter clothing, food and medical care were already in short supply in the camps for refugees there before the devastating earthquakes. The people there live in horrible conditions.
Food parcels for refugees
Together with our partners Smile Child Campaign / Mehad we bought three truckloads of wood pellets and three truckloads of food in Sarmada and packed packages for the people in a camp in Salqin. “People have been sitting in their tents starving for three days. In addition, the cold is giving them a hard time,” reports STELP founder Serkan Eren from on site. Mostly widows and orphans live in the camp. „It’s bad. The camp residents already had nothing before the earthquake. But now the camps are even more overcrowded and food is even more scarce,” explains Serkan Eren. „The situation on site is dramatic,” Eren continues.
Außerdem unterstützen wir unsere Partner Smile Child Campaign / Mehad finanziell beim Betrieb mobiler Kliniken, mit denen sie von Lager zu Lager reisen. They stay in a camp for five to seven hours at a time in order to be able to provide initial medical care to those in particular need.
Situation on site completely chaotic
In general, Serkan Eren continues to assess the situation in Syria as “completely chaotic”. “People are freezing, they are hungry and medical care is poor. Nevertheless, I have to say that help has already been provided, especially from the Arab region. There are some organisations that have already set up tent cities. It is of course far from sufficient, the situation on the ground is still bad, but many vulnerable people have already been given protection,” explains Serkan Eren.
