A Qatar Charity (QC) delegation has opened a bakery and a kitchen for displaced Syrians on the Turkish-Syrian border.
The opening took place with funding from the Competitors Team and in the presence of the governor of Kilis city, Suleiman Tubbsz, local officials, as well as QC CEO Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Kuwari and Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Jassim al-Thani.
The delegation also visited the Oncupinar camp on the Turkish-Syrian border and distributed stationery to 6,000 students in the School of Peace at the camp. They also inspected the conditions of refugees and visited newly built apartments at the camp.
The cost of establishing the bakery and kitchen, located in Kilis, was over QR2mn. The kitchen has a capacity of 50,000 meals a day, while the bakery will produce 100,000 loaves a day.
The bakery was funded by the Competitors 2 team, which over the last few months has collected donations amounting to QR12mn.
Both establishments will be run entirely by Syrians, providing job opportunities for Syrian refugees in Turkey as well as food support.
In a speech at the opening of the Competitors bakery and kitchen, QC CEO al-Kuwari thanked the Turkish government for its efforts in supporting Syrian refugees by providing facilities that help relieve their suffering, and the Turkish humanitarian relief organisation IHH, QC’s strategic partner, for its efforts in the implementation of projects.
He stressed that the relief of the Syrian people was at the forefront of QC’s priorities. QC spent a total of QR205mn until the end of January this year, benefiting around 4,218,000 people.
Al-Kuwari also spoke of the determination of QC to lay the foundation stone for a housing village for the displaced in the city of Al Rayyan in the coming days, which includes 1,000 housing units, comprising furniture and sheltering services, at a total cost of QR44mn, in co-operation with IHH.
Tubbsz and Bulent Yildirim, head of humanitarian relief at IHH, expressed gratitude to the government and people of Qatar, as well as QC, for their support.
In a press statement, QC director (Relief Department) Ibrahim Ali Abdullah Abbel said QC would seek to expand the Competitors initiative in order to attract a greater number of young Qataris, financing large projects in other countries.
Earlier, the delegation visited Rihaniyya on the Turkish-Syrian border where they inaugurated a mobile oven to provide bread for the displaced and distributed food baskets to refugees. They also inspected Hope Hospital, opened an eye surgery clinic, provided financial aid to patients and visited a QC-operated bakery.
Officials and dignitaries at the opening of the kitchen and bakery.
