Chinese community in Syria donates quake-relief aid to Syria

DAMASCUS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community in Syria on Sunday donated relief supplies to the Syrian people via the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) after the country was rocked by a massive earthquake on Monday.

The SARC received the humanitarian aid from the Chinese community during a ceremony held in Syria's capital Damascus.

The aid included infant formulas, winter clothes, and medical supplies, SARC President Khaled Hboubati told reporters, expressing his gratitude to China for the aid.

Chinese Ambassador to Syria Shi Hongwei said the aid showed the Chinese people's solidarity with the Syrian people.

On Thursday, the Red Cross Society of China sent the first batch of emergency medical supplies to Syria by a plane.

The aid comes in the wake of the deadly earthquake that rocked Syria on Monday. The quake has killed about 5,300 people in government and rebel-held areas, according to the lastest figure released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The United Nations said the earthquake has displaced 5.3 million people in Syria.