Turkish aid to arrive in gaza tomorrow

Ten trailers from Turkey carrying food are expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip tomorrow morning, according to the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay). "Even though there is an embargo in the area, we have been able to secure permission from the Israeli authorities, since the aid is purely for humanitarian purposes," said Mustafa Aydin, one of two special Kizilay team members currently in Jerusalem. Aydin added that over the last two years, Kizilay has provided the region with 10,000 tons of flour (half of it for the Gaza Strip and the other half for the West Bank), 100,000 backpacks, a prefabricated school, and $2.5 million worth of medicine. Meanwhile, five ambulances from Turkey and 100 trucks full of humanitarian aid reached Gaza yesterday. The provision of the ambulances was coordinated by the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) and will be used by various Gaza hospitals, including the al-Shifa Hospital. Turkey has given 10 more ambulances this month to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. TİKA also plans to ship five generators to Gaza. In related news, other Turkish volunteer and charity groups have been organizing campaigns to help the Palestinian people with food and medicine.