Turkey to send aid to Venezuela in solidarity against COVID-19

A woman, wearing a protective face mask as a measure to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, fills a big container with water provided by a government water truck, in the Petare slum of Caracas, June 10, 2020. (AP)

by Anadolu Agency

Jun 11, 2020 10:24 pm

Turkey signed an agreement Thursday to send medical supplies to Venezuela as part of efforts against the coronavirus.

An agreement to grant protective equipment and mechanical ventilators was signed in the capital Ankara by Deputy Health Minister Emine Alp Meşe and Venezuelan Ambassador Jose Gregorio Bracho Reyes, according to information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent.

Meşe said Turkey will be pleased to share its experience and knowledge it gained during the pandemic with Venezuelan scientists and ministry officials.

Reyes thanked Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the support, adding that Venezuela is ready to sign agreements with Turkey in all areas of health sector.

Turkey has helped at least 125 countries with humanitarian aid during the outbreak, including the U.S., U.K., Italy and Spain, making it the world's third-largest provider of aid during the pandemic.

The pandemic has killed more than 418,000 people worldwide, with nearly 7.44 million confirmed cases and over 3.5 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the U.S.' Johns Hopkins University.