Turkish NGOs give lifeline to Gaza under Israeli siege

Turkish charity groups have intensified their humanitarian aid efforts to extend a helping hand to the civilians in Gaza amid Israel’s siege and indiscriminate bombing on the enclave

before the new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict broke out on Oct. 7, Türkiye sided with the oppressed Palestinians. As Ankara fights on the diplomatic front to stop Israeli aggression, nongovernmental organizations deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to thousands in Gaza.

The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) has reached out to more than 598,000 people since Oct. 7, delivering humanitarian aid worth more than TL 75 million (more than $2.5 million). Between Oct. 21 and Dec. 5 alone, more than 3,000 trucks loaded with aid were sent by the charity, according to a report compiled by the Sabah newspaper.

Türkiye’s Diyanet Foundation, affiliated with the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), has also been active in Gaza. It supplied meals for the staff of Al-Shifa Hospital, which operated under tough conditions amid Israel’s attacks. In refugee camps in Jabalia, the charity delivered 2,000 meals daily. The foundation also donated medical equipment worth $100,000 to hospitals and cash aid amounting to $51,000 for the purchase of fuel for generating the electricity needed for the operation of hospitals.

The Deniz Feneri Association, based in Istanbul, utilized its warehouses where aid was stored before reaching the Gazans. It delivered aid to some 250,000 Palestinians. The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) supplied 5,862 food packages, 2,300 blankets, 500 pieces of clothing and 10,786 loaves of bread for Palestinians in need. The charity also provided 485 liters of fuel for ambulances. At Al-Shifa Hospital, the IHH delivered 1,106 hygiene kits and medications. Overall, it aided more than 354,000 people. The Sadakataşı Association delivered meals to 2,000 people in Khan Younis, while the Cansuyu Association also delivered meals in Gaza and sent truckloads of food packages.

Israel opened a new aid crossing into Gaza on Friday as its key backer, the U.S., urged more restraint in its all-out offensive.

Under pressure to do more to spare civilians, Israel announced it would allow the “temporary” entry of aid into Gaza through a second crossing, at Kerem Shalom near Rafah, which was previously being used only for inspections.

The U.N. estimates 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced. Its humanitarian agency, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), says more than a third of households have reported severe hunger, while more than 90% are “going to bed hungry.”

Aid distribution has largely stopped in most of Gaza, except on a limited basis in the Rafah area, according to the U.N.