Syrian volunteers thank UK for help
THE LEADER of Syria’s White Helmets has thanked the UK for its help in saving the lives of thousands of civilians in the war-torn country.
Raed al-Saleh, the head of the organisation, which is officially known as Syria Civil Defence, met Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in London to discuss its work.
Formed in 2012, the group’s 3,000 volunteers work to save civilian lives in the midst of Syria’s long civil war.
Volunteers lead efforts to rescue the injured after bombing attacks and to coordinate the evacuation of civilians to safety and medical care.
Mr Hunt said the UK was “proud” to stand behind the White Helmets’ service.
In July, the Foreign Secretary coordinated international efforts to rescue dozens of White Helmet volunteers from southern Syria as a result of the threat to their lives from the country’s regime.
Rescue workers and their families were given safe haven across the UK as part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.
Mr al-Saleh expressed his gratitude to the British people and Government for their support.
He said it had “enabled our volunteers to provide essential life-saving support to more than 115,000 persons and services to more than four million Syrian civilians who live under daily risk of violence in Syria”.
According to the UN, some 5.6m people have fled Syria since the brutal civil war began in 2011, with a further 13m still in the country in need of humanitarian support.