Turkey provides aid to refugees in Chad

By Serdar Acil

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey has delivered aid and food packages during the holy month of Ramadan to 11,000 refugee families fleeing Boko Haram and the drought in Chad, according to its top disaster management body.

The Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said in a statement on Monday the Central African country “is experiencing drought and also trying to cope with the influx of refugees fleeing Boko Haram attacks.”

The aid amounted to 1 million Turkish liras ($345) and each family received food such as rice, sugar, flour, pasta, tomato paste and oil, said the AFAD statement.

“AFAD on behalf of Turkey extended a helping hand to the country which is in difficult times,” the statement said.

Turkey was ranked third in the list of countries with the most international humanitarian work in 2012 and 2013, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, TIKA, says in its Turkish Development Assistance 2013 report -- the latest such figures from the agency.

In recent years, Chad has been facing security problems from the Nigeria-based Boko Haram militant group.

Chad hosts some 438,000 refugees, including 350,000 from Sudan, 90,000 from the Central African Republic and around 13,000 from Nigeria, according to the UNHCR.

*Anadolu Agency Correspondent Felix Tih contributed to this report from Ankara.