Syria receives Chinese humanitarian relief

DAMASCUS - The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) on Tuesday announced in Damascus that it has received a batch of humanitarian relief from China.

In a ceremony, Chinese ambassador Wang Kejian and SARC chief Abdul Attar signed the official papers for the deliverance, signifying the completion of transfer from the Chinese government to the Syrian NGO.

According to Ambassador Wang, the batch of humanitarian relief consists of medicine and medical equipment.

"We hope that our assistance may play a positive role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Syria," he said, adding that "in case of future needs, China will provide Syrians with more help within its power."

The humanitarian relief, which arrived in Damascus on Aug 7, is yet to be distributed to the public, according to a SARC staff.

"We are planning on distributing them across the country, so there is still some coordination work to be done," said Muhannad Al-asadi, the spokesman for the SARC.

Previously, China has made cash donations through various international organizations toward this war-ridden country and in January has given Syria a batch of quilts and blankets to help the Syrians cope with the bitter winter.

As the conflict in Syria enters its fourth year, humanitarian situation is deteriorating as radical groups take up swaths of land, forcing people to flee their homes. The UN estimated that at least 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict as of July 2013, while UK-based "Syrian Observatory of Human Rights" put the death toll at 160,000 in May.