IHH sets up new refugee camp in Syria

The Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said on Friday it is setting up a new refugee camp on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey for some of the tens of thousands fleeing Russian bombardment and Assad loyalists closing in on Aleppo, Reuters reported.

Over the last 24 hours, Assad regime and its Lebanese and Iranian allies have fully encircled the countryside north of Aleppo and cut off the main supply route linking the city to Turkey.

The Turkish organization, which is funded by donations and carries out humanitarian work inside Turkey and abroad, already has at least 10 camps on the border strip, official Serkan Nergis told Reuters.

"Once the supply route was closed, people began to escape to Turkey and, within two days, around 50,000 have piled up near the border," Nergis said.

With the existing refugee facilities full and with more people expected at Turkey’s southeastern Oncupinar border gate, IHH told Reuters that it plans to establish more camps.

"We are now building new temporary shelters there. We are distributing food and water. The accumulation of people has intensified since yesterday noon and our colleagues believe the number will go up," Nergis said.