Baby items donated to aid Syrian refugees

THE Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) Women’s Forum has donated a shipping container full of baby items to refugees of the war in Syria, and is working to fill and dispatch a second one – as part of the forum’s campaign to ease the plight of the refugees.

The first container, which left Cape Town Docks on March 6 and is scheduled to arrive in Turkey on April 20, contains only baby formula and nappies, said the forum chairperson, Mualima Khadija Patel-Allie.

She said a delegation from the forum would assist with distributing the items in the refugee camps.

“We cannot look away and pretend all will be well (with the refugees). The war continues. The suffering of civilians, including babies and children, continues and so should our efforts in South Africa,” said Patel-Allie.

She said their project, which is dubbed #Women4Syria, and is supported by Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (HH), aims to collect baby formula and nappies only.

“HH conducted a survey in the various refugee camps and these goods were the necessities that are urgently needed at the refugee camps,” added Patel-Allie.

Urging the public to donate baby formula and nappies to the forum’s relief campaign, Patel-Allie said people who are not able to donate the items could deposit cash donations in the forum’s banking account.

Its details are: Muslim Judicial Council (SA) alBaraka Bank Athlone. Cheque Account Number 78600202803. Branch Code: 800000. Reference: Syria

For drop-off points for donated items, people could contact the MJC offices on 021 684 4600.