Hope Cyprus (Zitite Elpis) volunteer group announced on Thursday the launch of an island wide campaign starting next week to collect humanitarian aid items to be sent to Greece to support refugees fleeing the Middle East, particularly children.

The campaign, which will run between March 21 and 28, is the second the group has organised, and aims to “support as many people as possible, particularly the children who have become refugees fleeing the war in the Middle East,” the group said in an announcement.

“The escalation of the refugee problem, the tragic shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, the appalling conditions in Idomeni and other places, under which thousands of people are forced to survive, all cause sadness and disappointment,” the group said. “Cyprus cannot fail to respond to dramatic calls from Greece to collect aid items that are necessary for the survival of thousands of our fellow human beings.”

The campaign will run from Monday, March 21 until Monday, March 28 inclusive, during working hours at 38 specific post offices. The aim is to collect baby care items, personal care and hygiene items, and dried food. All items collected will be sent to Greece, where they will be distributed according to the needs of the volunteer organisations.

“In every participating post office, there will be four big boxes, each clearly marked with the relevant content, in order to facilitate the public,” the announcement said.

The content categories are:

DRIED FOOD: Cereal bars, croissants, rusks, biscuits, dried fruit, e.g. raisins and currants, and nuts, tins of food (easy-opening, no pork).

BABY FOOD: Formula milk for babies in powder form (stages 1, 2, 3), baby cereals in powder form (e.g baby rice, baby muesli, baby cereals with added fruit), biscuits for babies, cans of condensed/evaporated milk.

BABY/CHILD CARE ITEMS: Nappies/diapers, baby wipes, nappy rash ointment/cream, feeding bottles and feeding nipples, baby sunscreen cream/lotion, light-weight fleece blankets.

PERSONAL CARE & HYGIENE ITEMS: Shampoo, soap bars, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary towels for women, shaving razors, fever and painkiller pills, first aid items.

It is very important, the group said, that the items should be handed separated by the categories specified above, in different packaging for each category in bags, boxes, or containers but not glass ones.

“Where necessary, the packaging should be shielded/intact. Please pay particular attention to the expiry date of the items you donate,” it said.

The collection of humanitarian aid items takes place in collaboration with the management and the employees of the Cyprus post office and the support of Hellenic Bank. The company Salamis Shipping Services Ltd has undertaken the transportation of the aid to Piraeus free of charge.

For more information: www.hopecyprus.org, www.cypruspost.gov.cy, call 77778013, or via email at hope@hopecyprus.org.

Information is also available from the local post offices.