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People's Bridge-Ireland to Refugees

LET’S BUILD A PEOPLE'S BRIDGE FROM IRELAND TO REFUGEES. LET’S BRING A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY

The refugee crisis has taken a new turn with the latest escalation of airstrikes in Syria and the EU-Turkey agreement aimed at blocking refugees from coming to Europe via Turkey and sending back anyone who fail in their asylum application.

There are now more than 2.3 million refugees in Turkey. With the escalation of the war in Syria and Iraq, the intensified airstrikes and the further closures of EU borders, this number is expected to rise to more than 3 million in 2016. Turkey is rapidly becoming the centre of the refugee crisis. While for the refugees any place may be better than a certain death at home, over the past 5 years their conditions have been rapidly worsening, both in Europe and Turkey.

Help us to bring medical supplies and other aid to the refugees, along with our strong message of international solidarity.

THIS IS AN APPEAL TO SUPPORT THE REFUGEES IN TURKEY – SEND A STRONG MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT

As the winter brings freezing conditions, the refugees in Turkey are facing another challenge: To keep themselves and their children alive.

Women, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable of all and suffer the most.

Of the 2.3 million refugees, more than 80% are living outside of the camps. Thousands of families, single-mothers, orphaned children are homeless or living in very poor conditions without a guarantee of a permanent roof over their heads.

More than 55% of the 2.3 million refugees in Turkey are below the age of 18. Around 20% of all refugees are children between the ages of 0 and 4. Just over 20% are between the ages of 5 and 11.

Hundreds of thousands of children are missing critical years without a proper education and facing great dangers of chronic illnesses due to malnutrition, poverty and lack of regular medical care.

Of the 600,000 school-age children only 20% have access to regular education.

In the last 4 years, 150,000 children were born in Turkey as refugees.

400,000 refugees are working in terrible conditions for very little pay. Child labour is becoming an increased problem.

Help us to bring a strong message of international solidarity to the refugees.

WE THE ORDINARY PEOPLE OF EUROPE SUPPORT THE REFUGEES ON MANY FRONTS

We are against wars, oppressive regimes and terror that forces millions of people out of their homes and run for their lives.

We call on our governments to do more to help the refugees. We want to welcome refugees into a safe life in Europe. We want our governments to have humanitarian policies rather than shutting down the borders to refugees.

Despite the ongoing "fortress Europe" policies of the EU  we will continue to raise our voices and continue or solidarity with the refugees in every possible way.

BUT, we should also support the refugees in terms of the immediate humanitarian crisis they are facing and the suffering they endure on a daily basis. The winter conditions make this suffering a lot worse. The refugees have immediate needs.

While the human suffering cannot be fully eliminated by charitable actions, such international acts of solidarity do make a difference in the immediate term when there is an immediate humanitarian crisis.

Help us to bring medical supplies and other aid to the refugees, along with our strong message of international solidarity.

WE ARE NOT ALONE IN OUR SOLIDARITY

In Turkey, a very dedicated team of nurses, doctors, teachers and many other activists are working very hard to support the refugees on many fronts and challenge the policies of their own state and the EU.

At the beginning of the Syrian refugee crisis these broad group of activists had established a strong and well organised formal/legal association called “PEOPLE’S BRIDGE” (Halkların Köprüsü)

(www.halklarinkoprusu.org - mostly in Turkish but if you require we can provide you more details on this association)
 
This association has been running various public campaigns calling on the EU and Turkey to open the borders and grant the refugees their human rights, safe/legal passage, protection and the recognition of refugee status both in Turkey and the EU.

These calls have been falling on deaf ears. But they also work on the ground. The daily professional medical/humanitarian care they provide is making a very real and significant difference to the lives of refugees. “PEOPLE’S BRIDGE” activists have saved numerous lives.

The anti-racist/anti-war stand of “PEOPLE’S BRIDGE” is also making a very positive impact on the wider political debate on refugees in Turkey.

On the ground, they perform regular medical checks and provide health care to refugees who don't have proper access these services. Especially for children they provide dental, eye care and other developmental support. They also provide vaccinations for children. 

The activists are especially concerned about single-mothers and vulnerable orphaned children.

They provide food and clothing assistance to homeless refugees which is badly needed at winter time.

They help on many fronts the surviving refugees who have lost their family members at sea.

LET'S SUPPORT THESE FRONT-LINE ACTIVISTS

None of these are easy tasks. The activists work like a professional team but all of them are volunteers.

They have no illusion in what they are doing. They don't pretend to save all the refugees and solve all the political problems. Their charitable support is part of their wider political stand and solidarity with the refugees.

They are local people know the area; they know the people and the local conditions. They are based in the western coastal city of Izmir. Izmir has a refugee population exceeding 300,000. Most of the refugees live in dire conditions stuck inbetween war at home, the evermore closing EU borders and the terrible conditions they live in.

The meaningful efforts of the “PEOPLE’S BRIDGE”  activists on the ground make a huge difference but they require wider support.

And that's where we can help.

I am calling for support and donations from people of Ireland (and elsewhere) to bring to this great team in Turkey. Money will be used to buy medical supplies and other urgent items needed by the refugees. The “PEOPLE’S BRIDGE”  teams have a good plan, the experience and the skills and a big humanitarian heart...

Our donations will make a significant difference.

Our messages of solidarity, our donations and other items will be delivered to “PEOPLE’S BRIDGE” association.
 
No funds will be used for any other purposes than buying supplies. Travel and other expenses will NOT be funded from the donations.

Please donate generously if you can.

All monies collected and spent will be independently recorded, documented and reported.

We are planning to deliver the donations on 15th January 2016

Thanks a million

Memet Uludag
Coordinator, United Against Racism

Dublin - Ireland

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Donations 

  • lisa coffey
    • €20 
    • 8 yrs
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Memet Uludag
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