Turkey ready to help needy worldwide during Muslim eid

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA (AA) - Ahead of the Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Muslim holiday later this month, Turkish NGOs are rolling up their sleeves to help the needy in countries worldwide.

Leading Turkish aid agencies will help millions of underprivileged people in over 100 countries across the globe during the Islamic holy festival.

The Turkish Red Crescent has distributed meat to millions for more than a decade, and this year will continue its aid to 1.5 million people in 40 countries, said the group’s head, Kerem Kinik.

The Turkish Red Crescent is the largest humanitarian organization in Turkey, with an international network to help other nations in need.

The non-profit and volunteer-based social service institution is providing unconditional aid and service, and is a corporate body governed by special legal provisions.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Deniz Feneri Association hopes to help people in 40 countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Algeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Palestine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Yemen, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia.

The Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) will distribute meat to around 3 million needy people in 103 countries, according to its head, Yavuz Dede.

The International Refugee Rights Association (UMHD) and Sadakatasi Foundation are both making efforts to reach out to hundreds of thousands of needy Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Meat packages will be distributed to the Rohingya Muslims at camps in Cox's Bazar.

The IHH will show the Eid al-Adha spirit of charity in a total of 103 countries, including Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, Yemen, and Bangladesh, as well as Myanmar’s Rakhine state and the East Turkestan region.

The IHH will prioritize refugee camps, areas struck by war or natural disaster, people suffering from chronic hunger and poverty, the elderly, widows, orphanages, schools, and hospitals.

The Sadakatasi Foundation will distribute aid in a total of 30 countries.

The Cansuyu Charity and Solidarity Organization will also help people in 28 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, while the Hayrat Humanitarian Aid Association will be active in 48 countries.