Public rally to respond to Syrian SOS call
SHOCKING scenes of Syrian children in agony after a chemical attack which killed 70 people has sparked a humanitarian response from a kind-hearted Shipston-on-Stour woman.
Vicky Flynn is sending hundreds of aid items to the war-torn country after she launched an appeal for help from the public.
She described to the Herald the moment she first saw harrowing news footage of babies and small children desperately choking and crying in the wake of air strikes close to the city of Idlib in northern Syria last month.
“I just thought, I wouldn’t want bombs dropping on my children so I searched the internet to find out how I could help in some way,” Vicky said.
At the same time, the mother of two young children, appealed on social media for the public’s help and was astounded by the response from ordinary people who also wanted to show their support for the victims of the attack which triggered world-wide condemnation.
In a matter of days Vicky had collected dozens and dozens of bags and boxes, some of which were left on her doorstep overnight.
The generous donations were so abundant that Vicky was able to fill a horse box with them which she then drove to Leicester to hand over to a charity which transports the items over the Turkish border into Syria.
“We’ve had food, clothes, toiletries, teddies, toys, baby baths and shoes given to us. They are all local contributions and people have been fantastic in their response,” said Vicky.
Last Tuesday, representatives from the Leicester-based charity One Nation arrived at a stable yard near Shipston where Vicky and her team of helpers were busy packing up the next consignment of ‘Bags of Hope’ destined for Syria. Once again there were sufficient supplies to fill the large charity van.
Sameer Ismail from the charity said all the items are eventually loaded onto a large shipping container and make their way by truck to Syria over a three- to five-week period.
The whole operation is carefully scrutinised on video to show that the items do actually reach the communities who need them most.
“We have been working in Syria for four years but we also supply aid to 14 other countries across the globe. We make sure we operate with due diligence and full accountability because we don’t want items to disappear into an abyss. The response from Shipston has been amazing,” Sameer said.
Vicky’s charity collections over the last three weeks have helped people fighting for survival every day of their lives in northern Syria. She has confirmation of this from a key contact working in the province most seriously affected.
Vicky’s reliable source is a Dr Shajul who she communicates with regularly on social media.
He has an Amazon Wish List requesting medical aid but he’s also asked for chocolate to give to young children, one of whom is a young boy called Mohammed and the doctor has told Vicky he will let her know when Mohammed gets his chocolate bar – a small gesture of huge significance for one child.
In addition to the estimated 70 people killed during the chemical airstrike, hundreds more were injured including aid workers and hospital staff; the latest phase in a civil war which has raged for the last six years.
“When I saw those terrible scenes of the bombed villages and hospitals I thought ‘I’ve just got to do something’ because that old expression still holds true today – charity begins at home,” Vicky said.
