TİKA Distributes Aid Parcels in North Macedonia to Fight Against the COVID19 Outbreak

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has started to distribute 2,500 aid parcels in North Macedonia due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The aid parcels, which contain food, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products, were distributed in cooperation with the Abdülhakim Hikmet Doğan Education, Culture, and Art Center (ADEKSAM) Association.

The delivery began in the village of Dolno Količani in Studeničani Municipality in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, and was attended by Turkey’s Ambassador to Skopje Hasan Mehmet Sekizkök, TİKA’s Skopje Coordinator Aytekin Ayden, President of the ADEKSAM Association Tahsin İbrahim, and the villagers.

Speaking to press members, Ambassador Sekizkök said that the coronavirus outbreak began to show that 2020 will be a difficult year in financial terms.

Noting that there has been a serious decline in employment and household income at a global level, Sekizkök said, “It is time to build solidarity and cooperation among all countries. Due to the outbreak, many families have difficulty in meeting their basic needs across North Macedonia. We have launched a project to distribute aid parcels to 116 settlements in 16 municipalities through TİKA and NGOs in North Macedonia, and your village was our first stop.”

Underlining that the elderly, orphans, people with disabilities, people with chronic diseases, and those in need will be prioritized in the distribution of aid, Sekizkök said, “These aid parcels will contain food, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products. I would like to thank all of you. I would like to thank TİKA and the NGO for this important charity work.”

TİKA’s Skopje Coordinator Ayden stated that as the COVID-19 pandemic currently affects the entire world, they distribute food parcels and cleaning supplies to families with financial difficulties, especially to disadvantaged groups, in cooperation with the ADEKSAM Association.

Noting that the delivery of the aid to be distributed across North Macedonia began in the village of Dolno Količani, Ayden said, “I would like to say that the aid we distribute with the attendance of our ambassador in this region, where Turkic groups have also lived, has a special meaning for us since Ramadan is coming. Therefore, we will continue to distribute aid with our ambassador both in the western and eastern parts of North Macedonia next week.”

Stating that Turkey would extend its helping hand to North Macedonia with a total of 2,500 aid parcels, Ayden said, “An aircraft full of hygiene products and medical equipment was sent to North Macedonia two days ago in the care of our President, and the materials were delivered to relevant authorities by our ambassador. Today, TİKA begins delivering these materials to families with financial difficulties in order to support them, in cooperation with ADEKSAM.”