Glasgow has rallied to help refugees who are fleeing war-torn Syria.

City charities have launched urgent appeals and held crisis talks as the migrant crisis escalates.

Glasgow the Caring City is to send a 40-foot container of aid to Syrian refugees in the Balkans.

Thousands of desperate people are making the perilous journey through Turkey and Greece to Macedonia and Serbia.

The group has launched an appeal for clothing and footwear which will be transported to staff already in the region who will distribute donations directly to migrants.

Ross Galbraith, International Projects Manager with Glasgow the Caring City, said: “We’ve launched a major appeal. Our aim is to send a 40-foot trailer of aid to Balkans to meet refugees when they arrive in Europe.

“We’ve issued a public appeal for clothing – we’ve received most other items, such as toiletries, from the business community – but we really need people to donate clothing.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the surge in public opinion after the images of the little boy on the beach were published.

“It’s been on our radar for some time but after the mood changed we knew we had to respond appropriately.”

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) has pledged £5000 to the aid mission which will be used to transport the shipment of clothes to the Balkans.

Glasgow Cathcart MSP James Dornan, who is working closely with Glasgow the Caring City, praised GHA for leading the way in supporting the mercy mission.

He said: “This is an incredibly kind gesture by Wheatley Group. After my meeting with Neil and Ross Galbraith from the Caring City on Friday about how to move forward with aid assistance I immediately contacted Martin Armstrong, CEO Wheatley Group (GHA’s parent company), to see if and how they could assist. I was in no doubt they would offer some assistance but am overwhelmed by their generosity.”

Wheatley Group Housing Director Olga Clayton said: “When we heard about Glasgow the Caring City’s appeal to send much-needed clothes and shoes to refugees we wanted to step in and help.

“We are also starting talks with the Scottish Government, councils and other agencies to see what role we could play in helping house some of the refugees as they arrive in the UK.”

Housing associations, including GHA, met in Glasgow yesterday to agree an emergency response to the refugee crisis. The meeting was hosted by charity Positive Action in Housing.

Director Robina Qureshi said: “We have been inundated with offers of assistance from housing associations, and now want to build on that goodwill.

“Housing associations have houses. Refugees need temporary shelter. Positive Action in Housing is able to offer crisis grants to those without recourse to public funds, ongoing pastoral support and an intensive support plan to assist people to find resolution of their cases, and stability in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland.

“If the present momentum continues, then we have the capacity to assist hundreds of people in Glasgow and across Scotland without putting anyone out. This is a rich country and we have more than enough to share with others who lost everything, even their children.”

Jim Strang, Director of Parkhead Housing Association, Shona Stephen, Director of Queens Cross Housing Association, and Robert Tamburrini, Director of NG Homes, were among those who took part in talks.

Mr Strang said: “The social housing sector cannot simply turn its head away from this growing humanitarian crisis. We have a role to play and hopefully as a sector we can respond positively.”

Many other Glasgow-based charities have also responded to the crisis.

Amal Azzudin, one of the ‘Glasgow Girls’ who campaigned for better treatment of refugees in the city, is part of a delegation from the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees who are travelling to Greece to offer assistance.

Slings for Kos is a Facebook group set up to send baby slings to the Greek island where many refugees have gathered.

Wishaw to Calais aims to send a convoy of vans carrying aid to migrants in Calais. A group in East Renfrewshire has launched a similar project.

The University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde have also launched separate appeals for donations which will be sent to Calais.

Meanwhile, The Maryhill Integration Network is presenting an exhibition of photographs from Syria this month.

Young Lens, a group of young people from Aleppo, Damascus and Homs, have documented the impact of the civil war on children and their families.

Organiser Brian Devlin said: “I am hoping that the Maryhill exhibition will help to develop interest from schools, churches, galleries, museums, youth groups or other organisations in Glasgow who would like to work with Young Lens and present their photographs.

“There is quite a lot of interest in the lives of Syrian refugees just now and I believe that there will be interest in the work done by Young Lens.”