TURKEY DONATES 10,000 TONS OF FLOUR TO GAZA

Gaza City, 10 Muharram 1435/14 November 2013 (MINA) – Turkey has donated 10,000 tons of flour to Gaza, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said in a statement.

The statement said the flour sent by Turkey via Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and was distributed to 800,000 people, majority of coastal population in Gaza, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported as quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA), Thursday (14/11).

UNRWA President Filippo Grandi thanked Turkey and said in the statement that Turkey’s aid was important because it came in a time the shortages in Gaza started. He said the 10,000 tons of flour, approximately worth 5.2 million USD was a critical aid to Palestinian refugees in a time the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza were closed.

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Turkey’s Consul General in Jerusalem Sakir Ozkan Torunlar meanwhile underlined that the aid by Turkey to UNRWA increased 12 times since 2009.

And Torunlar said Turkey as the pursuer of the UN resolution 1860 which suggests the lifting of illegitimate blockade conditions on people living in Gaza, will continue contributing into the tasks that aim facilitating living conditions as well as direct aid efforts by UN agencies to Palestinians in Gaza Strip.

UNRWA was founded in 1949 to assist Palestinian refugees. The agency’s activities include humanitarian aid efforts for Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and Gaza, providing health and social services. 97 percent of agency’s income originates from voluntary donations.

Also Read: Israel Cement Ban Suspends Gaza Reconstruction Aid: UN

UNRWA’s last batch of humanitarian shipment included 70,000 tons of flour that can be used in bakeries for bread making. (T/P09/P03)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)