DOHA: A township with necessary infrastructure being built in Turkey by a Qatar-based charity for Syrian orphans who have fled their homeland and taken shelter in the neighbouring country is almost half complete.
Work continues on the township being developed in phases in Al Rayhaniya city of Turkey, at a cost of over QR44m.
In Phase I, the township will have many buildings and accommodate some 840 orphans.
The project is a brainchild of Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) and is being financed by it.
It is being developed in collaboration with Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, ?HH (?nsani Yard?m Vakf?). Over 50 buildings have been completed, said Ahmad bin Rashid Al Suwaidi, Assistant Head of Foreign Projects, RAF.
The infrastructure development like drainage system, water and electricity connections and telecommunications lines are ready, he added.
The township is being developed in an area of about 60,000 square metres. The project includes 35 villas, schools, mosques, a warehouse, a place to prepare food, laundry, clinic, community centre, 12 small playgrounds, a park and three sport facilities, among others.
RAF has selected Turkey to build the unique township because more than 1.8 million Syrian refugees, including over 55,000 orphans, are based in the country. RAF aims through this township to provide complete services to the Syrian orphans, including social care, education, health, sports and other necessary facilities.
Al Rayhaniya is the nearest Turkish city from Syria and has accommodated large numbers of Syrian refugees. That explains why RAF chose this place to build the township. The project was launched more than a year ago and received overwhelming response from donors in Qatar, RAF said. Donors can approach RAF through hotline 55341818 or SMS or its donation collection centres throughout the country. RAF is executing charity projects all over the world, with projects in over 90 countries.
The Peninsula
