Turkish NGO distributes beds, blankets in Syria's Idlib

Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) distributed 20,000 blankets and 5,000 beds to civilians in camps in Syria's Idlib, an official said Monday.

Zeki Tahiroğlu, working as a local coordinator for IHH's branch in southern Hatay province's Reyhanlı district, told Anadolu Agency that they distributed blankets and beds to residents of rural areas and in tent cities established for internally displaced people in Syria.

"Thousands of people from many parts of the country have to come to Idlib over the past years. From the beginning of this year alone, more than 100,000 civilians came here from Eastern Ghouta [a suburb of Damascus]," Tahiroğlu said.

"In the winter season people are having a hard time because of the worsening weather conditions. We distributed 20,000 blankets and 5,000 beds to families living in camps in the city's countryside," he said.

"The lives of the people were severely affected in the terror group-held regions for nearly seven years. For this reason, we will continue to support the families via our aid programs. We request our benefactors to continue supporting Syrian people," Tahiroğlu added.

The Istanbul-based charity group has been helping war victims since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.

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