By Ayse Yıldız</p> <p>BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – As part of its ongoing charity efforts worldwide, the Turkish Red Crescent gave a helping hand to refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina with nine trucks of aid in 2018.</p> <p>It also provided more than 300 tents in different sizes, 10,000 blankets, 1,000 kitchen sets and two mobile kitchens for the refugees waiting at the northwestern cities of the country with a hope to cross to Europe. </p> <p>Ibrahim Altan, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, said the number of refugees in the region has surged recently. </p> <p>“There are thousands of refugees in the region. Our team continues to its aid activities there,” he said.</p> <p>Bosnia and Herzegovina has found itself in the middle of a migrant crisis, with the government decrying a lack of funds.</p> <p>After the Balkan route — through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary or Croatia — was closed to refugees in March 2016, many migrants chose Bosnia and Herzegovina as an alternative route.</p> <p>Altan also urged the citizens to continue their donations.</p> <p>“As long as they support us, we can deliver the aid to the places our citizens cannot reach," said Altan.</p> <p> </p> <p>- Thousands of aid trucks sent to Syria</p> <p>Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since March 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.</p> <p>Altan said that the Turkish Red Crescent delivered 43,000 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to Syria so far.</p> <p>"We have 12 orphanages in Syria. Now, we are preparing for a permanent shelter out of the tents”, he added.</p> <p>The charity group has had aid activities in 147 countries so far, Altan stated.
