Yorkshire convoy return from the Jungle
A convoy of ten fully-loaded vans set off from Bradford to France last weekend as 35 volunteers made the 300-mile journey over the English Channel to distribute aid to refugees.
The team, representing the SKT Welfare Charity, drove to the Grand-Synthe Refugee Camp in Dunkirk, where over 300 fleeing people are currently staying in cramped conditions.
Distributing food, clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, tents and other essential items, the team met with Syrian and Iraqi refugees and witnessed the ‘shocking’ accommodation, some were living in.
Makeshift tents were propped up with cardboard boxes and pallets, whilst wind blew through the sheets.
With winter months coming up, the distribution team also delivered ‘winter warmer packs’ – including hats, gloves and warm clothing, to fight against the cold.
Food items were also delivered in Dunkirk to the Al-Salam Charity’s warehouse, where a French team of volunteers will cook and distribute the goods to two refugee camps in the region.
During the three-day trip, the SKT Welfare team also drove over to Brussels, Belgium, after hearing of further Syrian refugees who were in need of ‘urgent help’ in a separate camp.
Upon arrival at the Maximillian Park Refugee Camp, the team once again witnessed crowds in huge number with almost 1,000 refugees from middle-eastern and African countries.
Once again, food, winter warmer and aid packs were handed out before the team visited the smaller ‘Little Castle Refugee Centre’ to complete their aid mission.
Worldwide figures suggest that the number of refugees currently stands at over 50million for the first time.
Syria, which has been at the centre of much news in recent years, has seen more than four-million refugees flee, with 12.8 million people still in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside the country.
