Turkish aid to Sudan exceeds that of UN: Sudan official

By Suhaib Qalalwa

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Turkish Red Crescent provides more humanitarian aid to Sudan than the UN, Osman Abdallah, secretary-general of the Sudanese Red Crescent, said Monday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a week-long conference held by the General Assembly of the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies -- now underway in Turkey’s Antalya province -- Abdallah described the cooperation between the Turkish Red Crescent and its Sudanese counterpart as “substantial”.

“The Turkish Red Crescent is very active in Sudan, especially in the Darfur region,” he told Anadolu Agency.

“Of all aid institutions, the Turkish Red Crescent is currently providing the most humanitarian assistance inside Sudan,” he added.

During the last Eid al-Adha holiday, Abdallah said, the Turkish Red Crescent provided assistance to more than 5,000 needy families in Sudan.

“The Turkish Red Crescent has also provided assistance to more than 300,000 refugees from South Sudan,” he added.

“We are currently working with the Turkish Red Crescent on a number of humanitarian projects that will benefit hundreds of thousands of people,” he asserted.

The Turkish Red Crescent and its Sudanese counterpart are also cooperating with a view to providing medical services to more than 100,000 refugees from South Sudan.

Established in 1919, the Geneva-based IFRC now coordinates between 191 Red Crescent and Red Cross societies worldwide.

According to statements released earlier by the Turkish Red Crescent, the meeting now underway in Antalya will tackle the ongoing humanitarian crises in Somalia, Iraq and Syria and means of resolving them.