Turkey sends medical aid to South Africa to fight virus

By Muhammed Ali Toruntay

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish military plane carrying medical supplies departed for South Africa on Wednesday to support the country’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic as it reported more than 5,300 confirmed cases.

The A-400M military plane carrying supplies including masks and disinfectant departed from Kayseri Erkilet Airport, according to the National Defense Ministry.

Turkey has helped at least 55 countries including Italy, Spain and the UK and remains the world's third largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.

The death toll in South Africa from the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has surpassed 100 with the number of infections totaling 5,350.

The pandemic has killed more than 226,100 people worldwide, with the total number of infections exceeding 3.17 million, while nearly 965,000 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University of the US.