Saudi Arabia, Turkey Plan Joint Syrian Refugee Camp

Added by on August 21, 2012

Saudi Arabia and Turkey announced a plan to create a refugee camp for Syrians on the Syrian and Turkish borders.

“Turkey hosts a large number of refugees and welcomes the Kingdom’s campaign to support our Syrian brethren,” said Mubarak Al-Bakr, executive director of Saudi National Fundraising Campaign for Syrians.

A UN report says 66,000 Syrian refugees fled to Turkey and live in refugee camps along the Turkish border. Other refugees live in two camps in Jordan. There are an estimated 1.5 million refugees.

Adrian Edwards, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said, “last Tuesday and Wednesday more than 3,000 refugees crossed the Syrian border to reach the Turkish camps”.

Many international organizations are offering support to displaced Syrians within the camps. with critical need for food, medicine and drinking water.

A Saudi Arabian convoy of 43 trucks carrying more than 700 tons of food, medicine and water reached Jordan yesterday.

Officials previously distributed about 3,000 aid packages in a large refugee camp. Aid packages contain rice, sugar, tea, macaroni, tomato paste, cooking oil, olive oil, and juices, plus health-related products such as soap, shampoo, and other cleaning products. Aid packages include a children’s package containing baby food and formula, juices, toys and milk.

Events leading to the Syrian civil war started on January 26 2011 when Hasan Ali Akleh committed self-immolation as, witnesses said, “a protest against the Syrian government”. Ensuing protests escalated with the Syrian government responding with actions that included arrests, firing on protesters using live ammunition, sending tanks into resistive cities, and censorship of events.

The opposition reportedly says about 23,000 Syrians have been killed since the conflict began in 2011 – this includes over 500 children, as reported by UNICEF.