Within scope of Türkiye-Palestine Humanitarian Aid Operation, 16 shipments have been carried out from Mersin Port to Egypt’s El Arish Port under AFAD’s coordination since Oct. 7, 2023
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Türkiye are working tirelessly to address the food crisis in Gaza, which has been ongoing for 683 days due to Israel's attacks.
Numerous foundations and associations in Türkiye have been regularly sending food, clothing and shelter and health supplies along with hygiene kits, medicine, medical equipment and baby products to Gaza, in an effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis triggered by Israel’s attacks on the region that began on Oct. 7, 2023.
The primary focus of these uninterrupted aid efforts since the beginning of the attacks are initiatives aimed at tackling the worsening food crisis day by day.
To mark World Humanitarian Day, Anadolu has compiled information on aid provided by the NGOs.
The Turkish Red Crescent, a leading NGO sending aid, spearheaded five "Kindness Ship" missions. With 10 of these ships, it sent a total of 869 truckloads (15,089 tons) of humanitarian aid to the region, consisting primarily of food, hygiene products and shelter and medical supplies.
A total of 52,164 800-gram cans of diced meat prepared from sacrificial animals donated for Gaza during the Muslim Eid Al Adha holiday by the Turkish Red Crescent were delivered to Gaza through the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The supplies, loaded in 12 containers and shipped to Egypt’s Alexandria Port, reached Gaza on Jan. 27–28.
In addition, 261 tons of canned meat included in Türkiye’s 15th aid ship and dispatched under AFAD’s coordination to be delivered to Gaza are being closely monitored by Red Crescent teams in the region and are ready to be transported into Gaza.
The Turkish Red Crescent’s soup kitchen has been operating in northern and southern Gaza with a daily capacity of around 15,000 meals.
To date, it has distributed 6.83 million hot meals. As of Aug. 17, in cooperation with the Palestine Red Crescent Society and local partners, its capacity has been increased to 21,000 meals per day.
-Turkish Red Crescent has delivered 400 tons of aid supplies to date
Procuring supplies such as food packages, hygiene kits and blankets from the local market through its teams in Gaza, the Turkish Red Crescent has distributed 400 tons of aid to date.
As of Nov. 29, 2024, it began distributing drinking water in Gaza via tankers, providing 20 liters per family and a total of 20 tons of water per day. Delivering 1.66 million liters of drinking water to the people in the region, the Turkish Red Crescent will resume distribution once conditions allow.
Of the 5,000 food parcels procured through Jordan, 2,500 were sent to the Gaza Strip on Feb. 27 and distributed to those in need. Efforts are ongoing to ensure the remaining 2,500 parcels are delivered to Gaza as soon as possible.
Due to restrictions on aid deliveries into Gaza, the Turkish Red Crescent ensured that 165 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, part of a total of 405 trucks offloaded at the Egyptian Red Crescent’s warehouse, were sent into Gaza as of Aug. 3. The sorting of the remaining supplies is still ongoing.
- Deniz Feneri Association provides 15 tons of clean drinking water daily
The Deniz Feneri Association provides hot meals to 15,000 people daily through 10 soup kitchens established in northern, southern and central Gaza. The hot meals are distributed to camps and families in need through volunteers and local staff.
Addressing one of Gaza’s most critical issues -- access to water, following the complete destruction of infrastructure -- the association also distributes 15 tons of clean drinking water daily and keeps two active water wells in operation.
The association also provides food aid to Al-Wafa Hospital in Gaza consisting of three meals a day for patients and their caregivers.
-IHH distributes over 35 million hot meals
Since the beginning of the attacks, the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation has distributed 35.19 million hot meals in the region. The foundation has also delivered 127.63 million loaves of bread and 1.2 million assorted food items, including canned goods, pasta, ready-to-eat meal packages and fruit juice.
The foundation distributed 206,521 food parcels, 129,789 sacks of flour and 17,848 packages of vegetables to the people of Gaza. The foundation also provided 2,567 tankers of drinking water and meat parcels.
-Cansuyu Association sends 1,273 tons of food aid to the region
Since the beginning of the attacks, the Cansuyu Association has sent a total of 102 trucks of aid, including food parcels, flour, rice, oil, legumes, pasta and other essential food items.
As part of its efforts, the association has delivered 3,000 food parcels, 285,000 bread packages, 750 vegetable parcels, 500 cooking gas cylinders, 349,300 hot meals and 1,806 tankers of drinking water to the people of Gaza.
Through its partner organization, the association distributed five tankers of clean drinking water and hot meals for 500 people in northern Gaza. It is also serving hot meals in southern Gaza through its partner organization.
To date, the association has delivered a total of 1,273 tons of food supplies from outside Gaza and has 20 trucks loaded with emergency humanitarian aid waiting at the border crossings.
- IDDEF sends 200,000 parcels to the region
The Istanbul-based Federation of Humanitarian Associations (IDDEF) has delivered 4 million hot meals, 200,000 food, fruit-vegetable and hygiene parcels, 350,000 packages of bread and 320 tons of flour.
From its warehouses in Egypt and Jordan, the federation has dispatched 204 trucks of aid to the region and contributed eight trucks of relief supplies to three aid ships organized by AFAD.
The federation sent 300,000 portions of canned meat to Gaza. Additionally, 264,600 800-gram cans of meat are being kept ready in Jordan for shipment.
The federation is currently distributing 3,000 hot meals and 50,000 loaves of bread daily in Gaza. It is also providing 25,000 liters of clean water per day through two tankers supplied by actively operating water treatment facilities in the region.
-Doctors Worldwide has reached more than 900,000 people in Gaza.
Since Oct. 7, Doctors Worldwide has provided health care, food and hygiene support to more than 43,000 families and more than 900,000 people in Gaza.
Teams providing treatment at Al-Shifa, Al-Aqsa and Al-Ahli hospitals are also providing vaccinations and formula to children and pregnant women at a health station established at a camp in the north in collaboration with UNICEF.
The association also provided salary support to more than 280 health care workers and delivered medical supplies, food, hygiene aid and canned meat to 155,000 people through Egypt and Jordan.
- Sadakatasi Association provides hot meals to 1.2 million people
Since the beginning of the attacks, the Sadakatasi Association has provided health care, food, shelter and emergency aid to approximately 2 million people in Gaza. The association has provided six ambulances and tens of thousands of boxes of medicine to hospitals, sheltering 1,000 families in two tent cities and 400 students in two tent schools.
Across different areas of Gaza, it has distributed food parcels to 22,000 families, flour to 4,000 families, bread to 110,000 families, 475 tankers of water and two truckloads of drinking water. In addition, the association has provided hot meals to 1.2 million people, supported hospitals with seven tons of fuel, and continued humanitarian aid such as clothing, blankets, tents and meat.
Also, within the scope of the Türkiye–Palestine Humanitarian Aid Operation, 16 aid ships have been dispatched from Mersin Port to Egypt’s El Arish Port under AFAD’s coordination since Oct. 7, 2023.
