Malaysian volunteers in ‘world’s biggest’ ambulance convoy to Syria return home

Twenty Malaysian volunteers, who participated in a mission to send 87 ambulances to conflict-torn Syria in what is described as the “world’s biggest” convoy of such sort, have returned home on Friday evening, the local New Strait Times reported.

“We managed to send 87 ambulances to Syria, out of which seven ambulances were sponsored by cash donations from our fellow Malaysians,” said Syahrir Azfar Saleh, head of the Malaysian Life Line for Syria Berhad group, told the daily.

“The rest were sponsored by donors from the UK,” he added.

Muhamed Muaz Muhamed Ruslan, the chief coordinator of the mission, described the mission as “very challenging.”

The 20-member group took turns to drive the seven Malaysian-owned ambulances on a road trip from the UK, France, Italy, Greece and right down to Bulgaria, totaling 3,400km in mileage.

“It was a very challenging mission because we were stopped by the UK, French and Bulgarian police all the way,” he said. “But we’ve got all our papers with us, including an endorsement letter from our embassy in London.”

None of the Malaysians were able to enter Syria since the Bulgarian police dubbed Syria as “too dangerous.”

“So our counterparts from the Human Aid UK helped us deliver the ambulances, food and medical supplies safely into Syria,” one of the volunteers Ahmad Musa Al-Muwayri said.

The volunteers, whose ages ranged from as young as 19 to 35, were from different NGOs, which included the Malaysian Life Line for Syria (MLLFS), Volunteer Muslim Malaysia (MVM), Global Peace Mission Malaysia and Humanity Heroes.

The volunteers had initially intended to leave London to the Syrian city of Idlib with 100 ambulances.