Turkey gives food aid to 1,500 Ethiopian families

By Tufan Aktas

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - Turkey’s Diyanet Foundation (TDV) has provided about 40 tons of food aid to 1,500 families in northeastern Ethiopia’s Afar province, according to a directorate official.

In January, Ethiopian authorities said 5.6 million people in the Horn of Africa states were in dire need of emergency relief supplies following drought in several parts of the country inhabited mainly by cattle herders.

TDV Project Manager Yuksel Sezgin told Anadolu Agency in the capital Addis Ababa late Sunday the directorate was providing food aid in 65 countries and 278 regions during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Sezgin said Afar province had suffered a lot due to the recent drought in the region and added that people from the region were thankful to Turkey for the food aid. "People say they are pleased to see that their Muslim Turkish brothers are with them during Ramadan," he said.

Mustafa Acar, religious affairs adviser in Addis Ababa of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, said the TDV had delivered 160 tons of emergency food aid to 5,000 families a month ago in the drought-affected region.

"We enjoy the blessings of Ramadan with our brothers here and Turkey's goodwill will continue to reach the world via TDV," Acar added.