Turkish Red Crescent and Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) officials were in the occupied West Bank's Ramallah on Sunday to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in besieged Gaza. The heads of the two relief organizations held discussions with Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Palestinian Red Crescent head Younis al-Khatib.
Okay Memiş, head of the AFAD, and Fatma Meriç Yılmaz, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, addressed a joint news conference after their meeting. Memiş said 11 Turkish planes and 11 ships carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza have arrived in the past days in the Egyptian city of el-Arish upon the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The AFAD chief said a new ship departed from the port of Mersin, southern Türkiye, to el-Arish, loaded with aid for Gaza.
The aid included eight field hospitals, 20 ambulances, two medical rescue vehicles, 200 tons of medical supplies, 847 power generators, 3,000 food parcels and 160 tons of drinking water, he elaborated. Memiş also said that, "54 personnel from the AFAD and the Red Crescent are currently waiting in el-Arish to enter Gaza.” Relief aid will also be provided by Turkish nongovernmental organizations, he said, adding that, "The AFAD aims to oversee the organization of humanitarian aid, which will continue in the coming days.”
Türkiye pushed for immediate aid delivery amid Israel's brutal attacks in Gaza that have killed thousands and left many internally displaced, without food, water and other basic supplies amid the Israeli blockade. Turkish officials contacted Israeli and Egyptian counterparts earlier for aid delivery to Gaza through Rafah, the only border crossing of Gaza where aid can be delivered. Last week, Türkiye announced that they were in talks with Israeli and Egyptian officials to set up field hospitals near the border crossing as well as in safe zones inside Gaza for treatment of people injured in the Israeli attacks and patients deprived of proper treatment amid Israel's bombardment of hospitals in the enclave.
