Azhar Vadi | 29 August 2019 | Image: Azhar Vadi (File)
“It’s really, really bad with the influx of refugees. There’s really no place and people are setting up camp on the side of the roads. I got a message from a brother I know from Ma’ratun Nu’man and they have just moved next to the highway and he wanted to know if I know about tents that are available because he is there along with his wife and brother’s wife and his mum is quite elderly and they didn’t have anywhere to stay,” reported South African, Maseeha Saloojee, from the town of Darkoush on the Syro/Turkey border. She has been teaching Syrian refugee kids who have lost any formal chance of education in the war wrecked country.
Government forces backed by Russian and other allies have surrounded the Idlib province in recent weeks in an attempt to push out the armed rebel forces who have controlled much of the territory. Intense aerial and artillery bombardments have sent civilians fleeing to the Turkish border in the north west of the country.
The raging attacks, described as a scorched earth policy, has resulted in at least 500 000 newly displaced people placing immense pressure on the bursting refugee camps on the border.
“The family came in a truck and they loaded all their neighbours from their area in it. They have all been sleeping in the back of it,” added Maseeha. “Maybe they can handle it now in the summer but when winter hits it’s really not going to be practical at all.”
While humanitarian aid organisations are trying to plan, the situation as it is has not been easy to handle. “There’s no control of where people are coming from and where they are setting up. It’s just too many to have a proper plan for every single one of them.”
The war in Syria in its 9th year has now even out lasted World War II and has decimated the Syrian population. In the educational sphere some 180 000 teachers are no longer in service according to UN statistics. 40% of schools have been damaged or destroyed and many more are being used as public shelters.
11.7 million people including 5 million children (0-17 years) are in need of aid and 13.2 million people are don’t have adequate access to healthcare.
“This morning I actually had a nightmare,” said Maseeha. “I dreamed that they were bombing our area and as far as I know there hasn’t been any bombing in this place since the beginning of the war. In the dream I said to my husband that maybe it’s time to move because I don’t know how much longer we can stay in an area where the bombings are getting closer and closer.”
Salaam Foundation is currently running a campaign to fill a shipping container of supplies to be sent to Turkey for relief purposes to refugees gathering at the border. The call is for adult and kiddie nappies, sanitary pads and blankets (150cmx200cm). These can be dropped off at collection points listed below.
Monetary donations will be used to purchase wheelchairs, walkers and crutches, mattresses, stationery for children and school bags.
The banking details are:
Salaam Foundation
FNB
62669147665
Branch 250 737
Ref: syr + name (zakat/lillah)
Drop-off points:
Salaam Foundation | Robertsham, 92 Xavier Street | Fatima Sookharia | 072 122 8400
Actonville | 1372 Loonat Street | Naseema Sookharia | 083 616 6153
Auckland Park | MSA UJ | Zakiya Shaik | 061 073 7223
Azaadville | Maymoona Chohan | 074 454 3315
Balloon Foundation | Haroon Patel | 079 107 2704
Balloon Foundation | Wits main campus | Aadil Seedat | 076 188 0931
Bela Bela | Muhammad Desia | 081 289 1997
Bela Bela | Ml Ebrahim Rawat | 082 263 8954
Benoni | Beyers Park, 12 Bartlett Rd | Fatima Ganchi | 082 348 8046
Benoni | Lakefield, 11 Ness Avenue | Nashreen Hansrod | 083 655 3341
Benoni |The Stewards, Building Blocks, 20 Calderwood Street | Shamiema Saley | 072 384 3486
Benoni| Amina Bhabha | 084 521 9237
Benoni | Beyers Park, 12 Bartlett Rd | Fatima Ganchi | 082 348 8046
Bethal | Bethal Town Masjid, 7 Clercq Street | Ml Ahmed Ravat | 084 374 9678
Beyers Park | 65 Monte Cristo | Nahida Dawood | 084 528 2786
Bilal Combined School | Corner Wimbledon and Wellington, Lenasia South | Taahira Timol | 061 439 0955
Brits | Salimah Ahmed Gutta | 084 205 6374
Bryanston | Zakkiyya Mota | 071 879 4077
Caring Women’s Forum | Ayesha Essack | 073 224 9984 | Naushina Ismail | 082 625 6252 | Raeesa Gutta | 074 786 7060
Crosby | 9 Barberton Street | Fehmida Bapoo | 082 855 5725 | Naseema Nalla | 073 786 0444
Durban | 490 Peter Mokaba Rd(Ridge Rd) Overport | Mrs Olgar | 072 144 2333
Greenside | Cake Walk, Greenhill Rd, Emmarentia | Mariam Mia | 082 956 7464 | Sommaya Motala | 083 650 9577
Houghton | 22 6th Avenue | Dr. Fatima Bhabha | 082 551 6104
Jump the Puddle | 2C Netania st. Rynsoord | Zaiboon Katrada | 062 493 4658
Kidz Campus | Sabeela Asmal | 084 555 3889
Little Darlings | Rashida | 076 864 1786
Little Folks | Appa Sajeda | 082 372 8223
Little Treasures Playgroup | Fatima Ganchi | 072 814 6591
Lenasia | 24 Mahanadi Avenua | Tasneem Mangel | 084 599 7022
Lenasia | Muslim Youth Council |Aarifah Bham | 083 630 0605
Mackenzie park | 32 Heron street | Faatima Ally | 084 306 3046
Marlboro | 9 Gazania Crescent Marlboro Gardens | Hasina Bhana | 072 363 9571
Mokopane | 52 Ruiter Rd | Naasiha Hansrod | 082 699 4782
Montgomery Park | 21 West Park Road | Shaatirah Hassim | 084 583 2190
Northcliff | Shaatirah Hassim | 084 583 2190
Norwood | Balloon Foundation | Fareeha Amod | 072 114 9650
Pietermaritzburg | 4 Burnside (entrance on Kenilworth) Mountain Rise | Farzana Essa | 083 628 7786
Polokwane | Anisah Moosa | 082 646 0505
Purposeful Giving | Claudius/ Laudium | 81 Maxwell Road | Zafreen | 083 779 6855
Purposeful Giving | Eldoraigne | Little Hearts Store, 1257 Willem Botha street | Sumaya | 082 0517 860
Qurtuba | 319 Al Qasr | Tasneem Bayat | 084 840 6661
Robertsham | Zakkiyya Mota | 071 879 4077
Roosevelt park | Shaatirah Hassim | 084 583 2190
Roshnee | VMWF Offices, 5 Zam Zam Street, Dadaville | Hawa Patel | 082 920 0773
Rustenburg | Zinniaville, 68 Hollyhock Street | Bibi Aysha Haffejee | 082 840 9077
Springs | 23 Geranium Street, Bakerton | Khatija Seedat | 076 250 4029
Standerton | 136 Sydney de Lange | Rabia Cajee | 084 528 7861
The Roadshow Muslimah | Melville, 28A Banbury Road | Tasneem Ebrahim | 083 697 5575
The Roadshow Muslimah | Montgomery park, 41 Hugo Naude Street | 083 786 3495
The Roadshow Muslimah | Mayfair West, 48 Bellona Road | 081 460 3079
Ummah Heart | Zaahira Karrim | 073 600 6014
VMWF | 5 Zam Zam streer, Dadaville | Hawa Patel | 082 920 0773
Whizzkids | Mackenzie Park | Faatima Wadee | 076 864 1786
Faheemah Moosa | 081 454 8337
Items required. Our focus will be on:
1. adult and children’s nappies,
2. sanitary pads,
3. mattresses (190x80x10cm)
4. blankets (150x200cm)
Monetary contributions will be used for the following:
1. Stationery packs (R70)
2. School Bags (R100)
3. Wheel Chairs (R1400)
4. Walkers (R450)
5. Transport, logistics and other additional goods