Turkish TIKA, NGOs mobilize 1,300 tons of humanitarian aid for Lebanon

Nine Turkish nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) will send a humanitarian aid ship to Lebanon, providing critical assistance to civilians impacted by ongoing Israeli attacks.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Istanbul on Wednesday, with NGO representatives sharing details about their relief efforts for Lebanon.

Turkish NGOs join forces for Lebanon relief

Kemal Ozdal, head of the Sadakatasi Association, an Istanbul-based charity, highlighted the severe conditions in the region. “Israel continues to write some of the darkest chapters in human history,” Ozdal said, emphasizing the escalating crisis in Gaza.

“By demolishing homes in the Gaza Strip, the occupiers have made it increasingly difficult for at least 2 million displaced civilians to access shelter, food, education and health care,” he added.

The aid ship is expected to carry around 80 containers, equivalent to 1,300 tons of humanitarian supplies, to the Lebanese people.

According to Ozdal, the first shipment is expected to arrive within a week.

TIKA provides urgent aid amid humanitarian crisis

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has also initiated emergency relief efforts in Lebanon.

According to a written statement from TIKA, a wave of migration from southern Lebanese cities and the Bekaa Valley to Beirut and northern regions has led the Lebanese government to declare a state of emergency. In response, schools and public facilities have been repurposed to accommodate displaced citizens.

TIKA has provided critical support to the affected areas, distributing 4,000 beds, blankets, and 5 tons of hygiene supplies. The Turkish embassy in Beirut, in collaboration with over 30 Lebanese public institutions and NGOs, has coordinated the distribution of humanitarian aid throughout the country.

The assistance reached various groups, including the Turkmen community in northern Lebanon, Syrian Turkmen refugees in Lebanon, Mardin-origin Lebanese in Beirut, and Palestinian refugees living in camps.

TIKA also extended support to institutions it had partnered with in the past. Humanitarian aid was delivered to Bir Hassan Tourism School, now serving as a shelter, the Ottoman-era Beirut Military Rustiyesi building, and Beirut Hasan Halit High School, which continues its educational activities.

Ongoing Israeli airstrikes intensify crisis in Lebanon

Since Sept. 23, Israeli airstrikes have targeted what the Israeli government refers to as Hezbollah positions across Lebanon, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and more than 2,950 injuries, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

The conflict has seen the deaths of top Hezbollah leadership, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border hostilities since Israel’s war on Gaza, which has claimed over 41,600 lives, the majority being women and children, after an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.