KUALA LUMPUR: Humanitarian organisation Syria Care has embarked on a winter humanitarian mission Syria Care 7.0 (BMS 7.0) to distribute aid to Syrian refugees in the country as well as in Lebanon and Turkey.
The mission is led by its chairman Siti Sakinah Meor Omar Baki and accompanied by six officers including media representatives from NSTP.
The group departed for its first destination Tripoli, Lebanon today to monitor aid distribution process involving food packs and financial assistance to Syrian refugees there.
Siti Sakinah said following Lebanon, Syria Care would depart for Turkey to distribute essential goods purchased from contributions made by various quarters including Malaysians.
She said the goods comprised winter clothing, gloves, socks and blankets costing RM682,312.
"All items have arrived at Mersin Port, Turkey on November 23, specifically for distribution to the Syrian people who have become refugees in their own country.
"It is an urgent mission because the country is facing winter and the refugees have no appropriate clothes to protect them from the cold," he said.
Siti Sakinah said in order to ensure the mission went smoothly, Syria Care co-operated with Turkey's non-governmental organization (NGO) Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi (TDV).
He said TDV and Syria Care would work together in distributing the items to refugee camps in Azzaz, Turkmen Bareh and Jarablus in northern Aleppo.
"For BMS 7.0 mission, Syria Care hoped to raise RM3 million. However, the amount is insufficient considering the situation in Idlib which currently has over 3.5 million refugees.
"Idlib has become one of the major protected areas after it was declared as a demilitarised zone (DMZ), the only area that is heavily dominated by rebel groups," she said.
She added BMS 7.0 would be extended to other areas including northern Aleppo and Latakia.
Syria Care is seeking contributions from the public to help Syrian refugees cope with the coming winter. Contributions can be made to RHB Bank (2622 5000 0217 75), CIMB (8601 8945 60) or Maybank (5621 0665 3575).