During the past two years, the International Solidarity Forum – EMMAUS collected a total of 1280 tons of aid for people of Syria, which has been shipped to Syria in 53 trucks, thanks to donations of citizens of BiH, as confirmed by the Manager for Public Relations of EMMAUS, Aldijana Mrkanovic.
“They are especially thankful because the aid came from Bosnia, a small country whose citizens know and felt how it is to be a refugee in your own city, in your own country. The people of BiH understand and sympathize the most with refugees, and they participate the most in this type of activities,” noted Mrkanovic.
Until now, citizens of BiH have donated food and hygiene products such as flour, oil, pasta, jams and baby diapers, which were exclusively domestic products. Moreover, a truck with clothes has been sent this year as well.
IFS-EMMAUS is planning to organize an additional large humanitarian activity for collecting aid for Syria during this year in BiH, and more information will be available in the following period.
Also, the organization Pomoci.ba has also organized activities that were aimed to help the people of Syria during the past few years.
“In the year of 2013, the association Pomozi.ba took part in the first convoy of aid from BiH to Syria. Convoy was in the organization of the Association “Solidarnost” from Bihac, and on that occasion, the Association Pomozi.ba provided a truck of aid. The founder of the association went directly to Syria and he participated in the distribution on the field. During the year of 2015, when refugees were in Serbia, around 100 tons of aid from our fellow citizens was delivered at the field within the project “Once us, and now them,” noted Hajrudin Solak from the Association Pomozi.ba.
Their activities were continued during the year of 2016. During the month of Ramadan, they prepared iftar (Ramadhan dinner) was prepared at the border between Syria and Turkey for 10.000 people, mostly children who were left without one or both parents.
“Currently, we are helping more than 300 migrants from the Middle East who are situated in our region and our fellow citizens are helping them as well. Some of them even gave their houses to migrants, and more than 50 of them are currently staying there. Moreover, a lot of people are reaching us via phone, e-mail and Facebook and asking for the best way to help, and those are food, warm clothing and footwear,” stated Solak.
(Source: fokus.ba)