Turkey’s most extensive health aid for Gaza on its way

Istanbul, Turkey | Xinhua |  A ship carrying the largest health aid that Turkey has ever sent to the Gaza Strip set off on Friday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced.

A dry cargo ship carrying 51 containers of medical supplies and generators and 20 fully equipped ambulances left the port of Alsancak in the western province of Izmir, Koca said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

“The aid, organized under the coordination of our Presidency, is expected to arrive at Egypt’s Al-Arish port on Saturday,” Koca noted.

The minister said the 500 tons of aid supplies included field hospitals with operating theatres and intensive care units, as well as medications and medical consumables to be used in these hospitals.

Koca said the field hospitals and ambulances in question would be deployed in Gaza or at points closest to the Egypt-Gaza border, adding that necessary coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Health is ongoing on that matter.

Turkey has previously sent eight cargo planes consisting of health supplies to Gaza, the minister said. ■