Türkiye continues humanitarian efforts in Gaza amid ongoing crisis

By Burcu Calik Gocumlu

Türkiye has delivered around 40,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with plans to dispatch the ninth ship of humanitarian assistance carrying 3,000 tons of aid shortly after the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

According to information compiled by Anadolu correspondent, Türkiye, one of the leading countries providing aid to the Gaza Strip amid Israel's attacks, continues to increase its assistance to innocent civilians facing depleted access to electricity, food, and clean water, while also conducting humanitarian diplomacy efforts internationally.

Through cooperation between the Turkish Red Crescent and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), supported by civil society organizations, Türkiye has delivered around 40,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza via 13 aircraft and eight ships.

The Turkish Red Crescent is preparing to dispatch its ninth humanitarian aid vessel, laden with food, clothing, hygiene, shelter, baby supplies, and medical items, immediately after Eid al-Fitr.

Loading operations for this vessel are currently underway at Mersin International Port.

Also, Türkiye has begun sending aid to Gaza via Jordan. Plans are in place to facilitate the daily passage of 24 trucks from Jordan to Gaza soon.

Aid campaigns led by organizations such as the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association and the Directorate General of Foundations, alongside the support of the Turkish nation, continue to provide food, medical supplies, ambulances, and cash assistance to Gaza.

In addition to humanitarian aid, the Turkish Red Crescent distributes 10,000 hot meals daily through its soup kitchen in Rafah.

Its personnel also continue to distribute urgent humanitarian aid items, including food parcels, tents, blankets, hygiene materials, clothing, and medical supplies, within Gaza.

Türkiye, along with AFAD, has signed a long-term agreement with a water factory in Egypt to provide Gaza with 7 tons of drinking water daily, addressing the urgent need for clean water in the region.

The sole power plant in Gaza has been non-operational since Oct. 11 due to fuel shortages, leading to the shutdown of hospitals and impeding debris removal efforts.

According to a report by the UN World Food Program released on Dec. 21, approximately 1.1 million people in Gaza are facing severe hunger, with over 854,000 in urgent need of food.

Despite the humanitarian aid materials permitted to enter Gaza since Oct. 21, only a small portion of the population's food needs are being met.

Health facilities in Gaza have faced at least 410 attacks, with only 10 hospitals remaining operational, six in the south and four in the north.

Moreover, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, there are around 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with an average of 180 births per day.

The attacks have damaged a total of 464 educational facilities, with 142 schools completely destroyed or severely damaged, affecting 625,000 students and 22,564 teachers due to school closures.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, around 1.7 million Palestinians, equivalent to 75% of the population, have been displaced in Gaza, with 1.4 million seeking refuge in 155 UN-run schools.

These shelters, overcrowded with an average of 150 people per toilet and 700 people per bathroom, face severe sanitation challenges.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas last October.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza, where more than 33,100 people have been killed.