As the domestic war in Syria rages through its third year despite all international efforts, The International Blue Crescent Humanitarian Aid and Development Foundation continues to respond the needs of Syrian refugees and IDP s through numerous projects in Turkey and Syria.
For two years, The International Blue Crescent Humanitarian Aid and Development Foundation accelerated its efforts in Kilis to reduce powerty problems of Syrian refugees Tens of thousands of Syrian families and children were reached during the programs started in Kilis and reached across the border to North Syria and to Damascus.
Syrian children are smiling
One of the most outstanding efforts of our Foundation aims at contributing to the solution of the problems of Syrian children currently living in Kilis. 2000 winter boots and coats were distributed to 1200 children receiving education in a school assigned by the Kilis Municipality for juvenile refugees and to 800 children living in urban Kilis. School bags containing five notebooks of different sizes, pencils, erasers, crayons, pencil sharpeners and rulers were distributed to the same 2000 children.
IBC established Psychosocial Support and Training Centers at three separate locations in Kilis to put a smile on the faces of children and to end their suffering. Located in the districts of Ekrem Çetin, Musalla and Shorhabil, each of these centers allow 500 Syrian children to spend their time freely. Each tent is staffed by 2 team leaders and 4 animator trainers. The play areas offer music training, painting, social activities and programs aimed at refreshing course materials in order to improve the children’s psychology and to assist them in adapting to normal life. All the operational costs of these centers and the wages of the staff are covered by our Foundationand its donors as Malteser and CRS. The children are given a daily food supplement consisting of milk, fruit juice, cakes and biscuits.
During the month of Ramadan, a total of 1300 food packages were distributed to the children, each containing one bar of chocolate nut cream (720 gr), a box of melted cheese, a pack of halva and a pack of wafers. Aziz Civelek, Syrian Regional Representative for The International Blue Crescent Humanitarian Aid and Development Foundation, said "Each stationary package contains a school bag, 5 notebooks of different sizes, a pencil box, a black pencil and a red pencil, an eraser, a ruler and a pencil sharpener. Also, we hand out seasonal fresh fruits, fruit juices and chocolate wafers to children in the same school, and we will continue to do so. We also provide material support to the administrators and teachers in the school. We are trying to increase the contribution we currently provide for the school".