Generous people in Luton and Dunstable have been donating huge sums of money to help those suffering from the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Akram Khan, a retired aerospace executive from Barnfield, said he was left in tears after hearing about the suffering of Syrians and decided to start raising money.
So far his Just Giving page has raised £7300 in one month, including an anonymous donation of £2500 from a Luton resident.
Mr Khan, 56, said: “I recently attended an event on the humanitarian crisis in Syria and was left in tears on seeing the suffering of the women and children. I was most distraught at seeing a video of a four-month-old baby girl dying of starvation in her mothers arms. As a result I am seeking to raise £10000 for a flour consignment to Syria (to feed 4000 starving civilians). People in Luton and the wider UK have been most generous and have raised £7300 to date but we need more donations.”
The UK government yesterday agreed to provide sanctuary to several hundred Syrian refugees.
Theresa May, the home secretary, said victims of torture, women and children in need, as well as victims of sexual violence, or those requiring medical care would be prioritised.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, queried why the government had held out against becoming full members of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) scheme in which 18 other countries are already participating.
The conflict in Syria started in March 2011 in what has become known as the Arab Spring.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died and the crisis is ongoing.
Go to www.justgiving.com/AkramKhan if you would like to donate.