COLOGNE 22.11.2014
The aid campaign for Kobanê and Shengal (Sinjar) launched by the Heyva Sor a Kurdistan (Kurdish Red Crescent) is continuing. The charity’s president, Suat Yalçın, said they had provided millions of euros in aid, and called on people to participate in the campaign.
The Kurdish Red Crescent, which is based in the North Rhine Westphalia region of Germany, is continuing its solidarity campaign with Kobanê and Sinjar. Yalçın said that the campaign they had launched on 5 June had taken on a new dimension with the ISIS attacks. adding: “Many people were displaced by these attacks. After 3 August 6 truckloads of aid and 350 tents were sent to Sinjar. And 250 tonnes of food and 8 ambulances were sent to the Newroz camp set up for Yezidis in the canton of Cizire (Jazireh). The needs of Yezidis in camps in North Kurdistan were also met.” Yalçın added that 850 tents had been sent to the cities of Amed, Şırnak, Mardin, Suruç, Malatya and Urfa for displaced people, and 200 thousand Euros of equipment sent to Kobanê. “We have also provided 150 thousand euros worth of aid to camps for Yezidis in Sulaymaiyeh, Dohuk and Zakho in South Kurdistan. So far we have sent a total of 1.825.000 Euros worth of materials, 20 tonnes of medicine and health materials”
‘People should continue to support the campaign’
Suat Yalçın said the campaign was continuing all over Europe, with the participation of Kurdish people. He said that they had been unable to secure the cooperation of institutions in Europe, adding that this demonstrated European states’ attitudes to the Kurds. He said Kurdish organisations, the Democratic Alevi Federation (FEDA), the Federation of Êzîdî (Yezidi) Associations (FKÊ) and the Islamic Society of Kurdistan(CİK) had worked with them.
‘Our people must not lose their spirit of mobilisation’
Suat Yalçın said people from America, Canada, Australia Japan, the Philippines, Georgia, Azerbaijan and New Zealand had also contributed to their campaign. He added that at the beginning they had mainly collected money, but were now also interested in collecting food and clothes to distribute. He said that with the onset of winter the situation would worsen. “Our people must not lose their spirit of mobilisation. They must assist us with money, medicine and hospital equipment,” he concluded.
ANF
