Turkish Red Crescent to aid Gaza with fuel, humanitarian supplies
Aid materials loaded into a third plane carrying aid for Gaza in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense, the Turkish Red Crescent and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Ankara, Türkiye, Oct. 14, 2023. (AA Photo)


The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) announced Saturday it will support the Palestinian Red Crescent in providing 400,000 liters of fuel to meet the one-month electricity needs of hospitals and ambulances in Gaza.

A written statement by the Turkish Red Crescent mentioned that urgent aid missions were carried out due to the ongoing blockade of Gaza City and electricity interruptions for the past two weeks.

The statement noted that support was provided to meet the urgent needs as outlined in the call for aid to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

"The Turkish Red Crescent will provide 400,000 liters of fuel support to meet the fuel requirements of hospitals and ambulances, which are on the priority needs list," the statement shared in Turkish and English official social media channels of the organization said.

"An amount of $600,000 will be provided to the Palestinian Red Crescent to cover the cost of 400,000 liters of fuel to meet the 30-day electricity needs of Gaza's hospitals. The Palestinian Red Crescent will strive to secure the fuel supply through various means."

In addition to fuel support, the Turkish Red Crescent is also working to provide assistance for other humanitarian needs in Gaza.

Alongside the three aircraft loads of aid materials sent to Egypt, preparations are ongoing for the fourth aircraft, which will carry entirely medical supplies, as per Anadolu Agency (AA) reports.

Furthermore, the Turkish Red Crescent team in Egypt continues to coordinate the collection and shipment of in-kind donations, locally procured and sent from Türkiye, in collaboration with the Egyptian Red Crescent, for delivery to Gaza, the organization said.

The Turkish Red Crescent, a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has 19 delegations around the world.

Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis, with no electricity, while water, food, fuel and medical supplies are running out.

The first 20 aid trucks carrying humanitarian supplies, excluding fuel, arrived in the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing with Egypt early on Saturday, over two weeks after Israel's indiscriminate attacks on the population in the besieged region.

Israel has imposed a "complete siege" on the Palestinian territory since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, cutting off the densely populated Mediterranean coastal strip from essential supplies.

Its military campaign against Hamas has leveled entire city blocks in Gaza, killing more than 4,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.