Turkey hosts 200,000 refugees from Kobane, emergency agency says

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

A Syrian Kurdish child looks through the fence of a refugee camp in the town of Suruç, Şanlıurfa. AFP Photo / Aris Messinis

The clashes in the Syrian town of Kobane have led nearly 200,000 people to take shelter in Turkey, according to official data released on Dec. 20. The Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD) says that 192,417 people have arrived in Turkey since Sept. 19 when clashes broke out in Kobane. The data also shows that 3,072 cars have entered the country.

In and around the Turkish town of Suru, near Kobane, 1,573 officials from different institutions have been on duty to help refugees by taking care of their food and shelter, as well as health and security.      
The aid agency said that an average of 70,000 meals are delivered to refugees daily.

Over 27 million lira in aid

Since August 2012, 819 cars loaded with aid supplies have been sent to Kobane through the Mursitpinar border crossing in Sanliurfa. The cost of the aid supplies so far has been calculated to be over 27 million Turkish Liras (more than $11.6 million), AFAD says.

27,850 people injured in Kobane have been treated in Suruc State Hospital, which says that it has vaccinated 60,000 children and offered healthcare services to 105 pregnant women. The AFAD stated a sufficient number of electric heaters have been stored in the city for the refugees. The institution also stated that five thousand tent covers have been sent to Sanliurfa, and 500 rain-damaged tents have