The leader for a Syrian refugee group in Oxford has appealed to the public for fundraising help.

Nuha Abdo, the founder of Syrian Sisters, said the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Syria last Monday has created a “mental challenge” within their tight-knit community.

Syrian Sisters was founded in 2016 by a group of women who arrived in the UK from Syria.

READ MORE: Oxford mosque steps up in response to Turkey and Syria earthquake

The group aims to act as a support network for refugee women and their families who have relocated to Oxford due to social, political, cultural or economic reasons.

Mrs Abdo said: “We have members who have been traumatised by this earthquake.

“People who have come here from Syria do not have anything they can use to find out if their relatives are lying underneath the rubble.

“It is a big challenge for us, and we are very sad because it feels like we cannot do anything about it.”

Mrs Abdo said their community was praying together in the Rose Hill Community Centre and the group has started a fundraising page which aims to raise £10,000 to support the victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake.

In an appeal to the public, she said: “We are desperate for help.”

The money raised by the crowdfunding will be used to send critical resources such as food and clothing to the victims of the disaster.

The page had raised £840 by lunchtime on Monday.

In the past, the group has received funding from Asylum Welcome and has also worked with local organisations such as Refugee Resource, Aspire and Multaka.

Mrs Abdo said there were members of their community who tragically lost family members in the earthquake, and they were doing all they could to support them.

She revealed: “One very active member of our community yesterday found out her mum, sister and brother-in-law had died underneath the rubble.

“One day she was crying loads and called me.

“I asked her what happened and she told me her nephew was not answering the phone.

“We will pray for her family at the community centre.”

Mrs Abdo said she was still concerned about the safety of her husband’s family, as the whereabouts of her husband’s cousin and uncle were still unknown.

Members of Syrian Sisters will meet on Thursday at the Rose Hill Community Centre, where they “will pray and support each other.”

Mrs Abdo said she will be busy “looking after people’s mental health” over the next few weeks, along with ten volunteers who help out regularly.

She said Oxford City Council had been in touch to offer their support.