Turkey's IHH delivers hot meals to Eastern Ghouta residents

By Izzet Mazi

KILIS, Turkey

Turkish aid agency is providing hot meals to 10,000 people on daily basis in the areas liberated from terrorists with Turkey’s efforts, said the agency’s official on Wednesday.

Yakup Alaca, an official at the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation’s (IHH) southern Kilis office, told Anadolu Agency the food was being served to the families from Syria’s Eastern Ghouta, who are accommodating at safe areas liberated through Operation Euphrates Shield.

The Operation Euphrates Shield was conducted from August 2016 to late March 2017 in order to support coalition forces and eliminate terror threats along the Turkish border.

Alaca said the agency is making efforts to reach all people in need irrespective of their religion, language, race and sect.

“People of Ghouta are coming to safe areas of Euphrates Shield since one month. We are trying to meet the needs of these families,” Alaca said.

He added that the foundation was also providing the families with rent allowance, as well as household goods and food.

Nearly 1,080,000 Syrians are currently living in the Euphrates Shield area and around 194,000 of them are in camps, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD).

Home to 400,000 residents, Eastern Ghouta has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years, which has prevented the delivery of much needed humanitarian supplies.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011 when the regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

According to UN officials, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict to date.