Turkey Resumes Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Turkey has resumed its humanitarian aid efforts for Gaza after a 42-day ceasefire brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

A delegation of ten officials from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent recently arrived in Cairo, where they held coordination meetings with the Egyptian Red Crescent and Turkish Ambassador to Egypt, Salih Mutlu Şen.

As part of the renewed relief efforts, Turkey dispatched two humanitarian aid ships to Egypt’s Al-Arish port. The first vessel, Mediterranean, carrying 835 tons of aid, arrived on January 29, while the second, Emir Göy, is scheduled to reach the port by Sunday.

The ceasefire agreement has allowed for at least 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily, along with the reopening of the Rafah border crossing.

Turkey, one of the first countries to send aid to Gaza, has intensified its relief operations in cooperation with Egypt to expedite humanitarian deliveries.

Upon arrival in Cairo, the Turkish delegation engaged in discussions with Egyptian authorities regarding the situation at the Rafah crossing and the efficient transport of humanitarian supplies.

Turkey has resumed aid shipments via Al-Arish port, a key logistical hub for relief efforts.

Among the 835 tons of aid delivered by Mediterranean, over 10,000 urgently needed tents were included to shelter displaced families, as reports indicate that 80% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed, leaving thousands vulnerable in the harsh winter conditions.

The shipment also contained essential supplies such as portable toilets.

Turkish Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen, alongside Egyptian Red Crescent officials and Al-Arish port representatives, welcomed the aid ship’s arrival.

He emphasized that Turkey’s collaboration with Egypt has enabled large-scale humanitarian assistance to Gaza and pledged to increase maritime aid deliveries in the coming weeks.

So far, Turkey has dispatched 14 aid ships to Gaza, with the 15th, Emir Göy, carrying nearly 2,000 tons of supplies, expected to arrive shortly.

If the ceasefire holds, Turkey, in coordination with Egyptian authorities, aims to sustain an uninterrupted flow of aid through Al-Arish port.

Ambassador Şen also expressed optimism that the reopening of the Rafah border would facilitate medical evacuations for injured Palestinians, enabling critical patients to receive treatment in Turkey via Egypt.