A Keighley man took part in a charity mercy mission to help two million refugees in Syria.

Abdul Ahad, 31, a trustee of Al-Imdaad Foundation UK, has returned from the war-ravaged country where he was involved in a massive project to supply the displaced population with bread.

Al-Imdaad is working with 35 bakeries to deliver 1.5 million kilos of urgently-needed flour to six regions of Syria.

Mr Ahad, who is from Lawkholme, said: “The project will be launched from several Turkish border cities, from where we will deliver the flour to the Syrian regions of Aleppo, Latakya, Homs, Idlib, Deir Alzor and Hama.

“This will then be distributed to different districts, villages and individual displaced persons.”

Mr Ahad warned that a looming food crisis is gripping the country as winter sets in. The civil war is now entering its third year, and an estimated 130,000 people have been killed.

Mr Ahad said: “Flour is the staple diet of the Syrian people. It is relatively inexpensive, transportable and can be eaten by everyone. Flour lasts a long time and can be stored and used over a long period, so as Syria heads into winter this is ideal.”

He added that the flour was bought in Turkey and that the initiative is scheduled to run for one month.

He said helping the people of Syria had been a spiritually fulfilling experience, noting that it is not the first time Al-Imdaad had intervened to save lives in this part of the world.

“The charity has created a full containerised village inside Syria and has been assisting Syrian refugees for over two years from the Jordanian border,” he said. “We’ve established an entire tent village and are in the process of setting up a bakery in an area called Shammarin Village.

“Food hamper and baby food distributions, medical supplies, water projects, hygiene kits for women and children are some of our other ongoing projects, and a trauma centre and clinic is also being established.”