Food Drive

Two UK-based charities – Al Muntada Trust and Hope and Aid Direct, are today launching a campaign with faith centres and other groups across England, to collect much needed food for refugees currently living in refugee camps throughout Europe.

Charles Storer MBE, from Hope and Aid Direct, has visited Greece several times this year already, taking truckloads of aid to refugees who have arrived to seek refuge from war and persecution in their homeland. He said: “This refugee crisis is not going to disappear any time soon; indeed it is continually getting worse. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of people every day are still risking their lives in dangerous and flimsy boats to get to Europe”. Earlier this year Hope and Aid Direct helped refugees arriving in Lesbos, and then in northern Greece. In July the charity partnered with another overseas aid charity to take aid to refugee camps in Greece. “The conditions in the refugee camps, (that we have witnessed), are unacceptable. People are just existing – not living – in tents, often inside dirty and very dusty disused warehouses. Conditions are grim – poor drinking water, extremely poor and limited washing facilities and wholly insufficient and inadequate sanitation.”

The campaign – Food Drive 2016 – will see faith groups across the country come together to donate food. The aid will then be delivered directly to those in need by the teams from Hope and Aid Direct and Al Muntada Trust.

Rebecca Spencer, Food Drive Project Manager from Al Muntada Trust said; “Having visited the refugee camps, I know how important this campaign is. People are sometimes going days without having food. I have had children crying in front of me, asking for food. All communities need to work together to support refugees in the European crisis.”

To find out how you can get involved please visit Hope and Aid’s website – www.hopeandaiddirect.org.uk

Donations can be made to the Food Drive 2016 at www.justgiving.com/FD2016