TİKA Provides Food Aid to 14,500 Families in Palestine During Ramadan

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) will deliver food packages to 14,500 needy families in Palestine, which has been under blockade.

9,000 of these food packages will be distributed to needy families in the West Bank and 5,500 of them will be distributed in the Gaza Strip by TİKA Palestine Office during the month of Ramadan. Furthermore, iftar meals will be provided to 7,000 families in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In order to distribute 2,000 food packages provided by TİKA, a handover ceremony was held at the Palestine Ministry of Social Development located in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank under occupation.

The ceremony was attended by the Palestine Minister of Social Development Ahmed Majdalani, Turkey's Consul General in Jerusalem Ahmet Rıza Demirer, and TİKA’s Palestine Coordinator Ahmet Refik Çetinkaya. During his statement to the AA reporter, Consul Demirer underlined that Turkey's support to the people of Palestine would continue and said: “This is an opportunity for us to show the brotherhood between Turkey and Palestine once again.” Having emphasized that this organization was a way of sending Turkish people's regards to the people of Palestine, Demirer said: “Providing aid and support to the needy people has become a tradition in Palestine. We're happy to keep doing this, considering it's even more important during these difficult times.”

“We appreciate this cooperation with our people”

On the other hand, the Palestine Minister of Social Development Majdalani made a statement to the AA reporter and said: “We'd like to express our gratitude towards the people and the government of Turkey and especially to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who has always supported the people of Palestine.” Having emphasized that they valued and appreciated the support shown by Turkey, Majdalani added: “We appreciate this cooperation with our people and we expect greater political support from Turkey so that our people could claim their rights.” TİKA’s Palestine Coordinator Çetinkaya stated that 2,000 packages had just been handed over to the ministry, and that a total of 9,000 food packages would be delivered to the needy people gradually over the month of Ramadan. Having underlined that the packages would be distributed by the Palestine Ministry of Social Development, the Palestinian Zakat Fund and several other non-governmental organizations, Çetinkaya said that Turkey would continue providing support to the Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Also having reminded that the delivery of 5,500 food packages to needy people had begun on the 15th in the Gaza Strip, Çetinkaya stated that 7,000 families will be handed out hot iftar meals during the month of Ramadan in the West Bank and the East Jerusalem under occupation.

TİKA carried out hundreds of projects through Palestine Office which was opened in 2005, in many areas such as education, health, emergency aid, water and public health, manufacturing sector, protecting the common historical legacy and strengthening the administrative and civil infrastructure.