Rice, Blankets and Love – from India to Syria

In strife-torn Syria, millions of women, men and children are in desperate need of immediate assistance to survive in these difficult times. The ICRC endeavours to meet the needs of the affected population by procuring items globally, with India emerging as one of the most important countries from which it sources such items. Thus rice, grown in the paddy fields in the Indian State of West Bengal, and thousands of blankets manufactured in the mills in northern India have been slowly making their way to Syria.

It took many months for the ICRC to identify the appropriate items that meet the requirements of the affected population. As part of the sourcing process, samples were sent for lab testing where rigorous quality checks were carried out. The consignment – duly sealed by the ICRC – was then shipped to Syria and distributed among the tens and thousands of people in need. This short video film captures the different stages of this journey – from India to Syria.