Turkish Red Crescent vows aid flow to Gaza continues

Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meric Yilmaz said Tuesday the organization is maintaining humanitarian operations for Gaza from Egyptian Red Crescent warehouses in El-Arish, overseeing the delivery of supplies dispatched from Türkiye despite recent border crossing disruptions. Speaking at the logistics hub, Yilmaz emphasized the importance of Egyptian Red Crescent coordination in facilitating deliveries to the territory.

Yilmaz said a vessel sent during the first week of Ramadan carried enough supplies to fill approximately 400 trucks, though the aid was turned back at border crossings and unloaded at the Egyptian facility. "Quickly, the aid sent by Türkiye here is being directed inside," she said, noting that about 15 trucks currently enter Gaza daily while volunteers handle repackaging requirements for individual items.

Operations within Gaza

The Turkish Red Crescent operates three soup kitchens in Gaza, preparing and distributing 30,000 hot meals daily for people unable to prepare food themselves, Yilmaz said. "Every day, we prepare and distribute 30,000 hot meals. This amounts to an operation of approximately 100 million liras per month," she said, adding that the organization also distributes 100 tons of drinking water daily and obtains food parcels from within the territory when external flows slow.

Beyond food assistance, the organization runs psychosocial support programs targeting children and has launched a new prosthetics project for individuals who have lost limbs, Yilmaz noted. "We are following through on what the Turkish people entrusted to us," she said, stressing that the organization monitors the entire process from aid ships to final distribution to ensure Gaza remains a priority for humanitarian assistance.