Even colour of sleeping bags reason for Israel to block aid: Red Crescent

Amid Israel's deadly attacks, societies from all over the world are mobilising to deliver aid to Palestine's Gaza.

Among these countries, Türkiye maintains its role as a leading provider of humanitarian aid with more than 46 thousand tonnes of aid shipped to the region to date.

Humanitarian aid supplies from Türkiye have so far been delivered to Gaza through 13 planes and nine ships in cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent and Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), contributing 29 percent of the worldwide assistance according to data from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) under the Israeli Ministry of Defence, as of April 24.

As the world’s largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) plays a pivotal role in delivering this aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Operating in 192 countries, the IFRC is protected by international humanitarian law as outlined in the Geneva Conventions.

In striving to leverage all available resources in the region, the Turkish Red Crescent utilises Egypt’s Rafah border crossing as a main route to deliver aid, as well as the corridor in Jordan.

Asked about the types of aid provided from Türkiye to Gaza, Alper Kucuk, Director-General for International Affairs & Migration at the Turkish Red Crescent and President of the Sphere Standards explains, "Primarily, we provide food supplies because the most essential aid needed by the nearly 2 million people on a daily basis is food.”

“We have delivered and continue to deliver various aid materials to Gaza, including shelter, hygiene products, healthcare items ranging from ambulances to medicines," he adds.

Kucuk mentions their cooperation with the Palestinian and Egyptian Red Crescent in the region, in coordination with Egyptian authorities.

"We consistently gather information from the Red Crescent or Red Cross of the host country where the crisis is unfolding, to determine the needs and priorities."

Türkiye's robust logistical network allows it to reach the Egyptian city of Arish, closest to the Rafah crossing, from the southern city of Mersin in just 40 hours.

Kucuk indicates that in recognising Türkiye's capacity, strategic position and strength, NGOs from other countries have sought Türkiye’s assistance, inquiring about its logistical and access capabilities.

“So far, we have delivered aid from many countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Germany, Denmark and Canada using Turkish ships. We provide support to them under the coordination of the Turkish Foreign Ministry."

"We are coordinating with other countries in the field and also providing support to those who want to help but cannot reach," Kucuk adds.

Israel refuses passage of essential items

Asked about the challenges encountered in delivering aid to Gaza, Kucuk says, "The biggest obstacle here is the situation within Gaza, there is constant bombardment. Humanitarian aid organisations, ambulances, and healthcare facilities are not spared, there is no safe point anywhere in Gaza."

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007, making it impossible to reach the Palestinian enclave without passing through checkpoints set up by Israeli authorities.

Shortly after October 7, Israel announced a "complete siege" of Gaza, cutting off essential services such as gas, electricity, food and medicine, leaving the enclave grappling with a grave humanitarian crisis.

Oftentimes, collected aid shipments reach all the way to Egypt but are unable to reach Gaza because Israel does not permit it, while there have also been examples where Israeli authorities at the border arbitrarily change rules, only allowing entry at their whim.

Kucuk explains that they are currently endeavouring to deliver aid through Egypt based on Israel's 2022 announcement concerning the items permitted to pass through the border crossings.

"The rejected aid materials include oxygen cylinders, generators, and any materials that provide energy in any form. Passage of medical devices is also almost not allowed."

"They say they refuse “dual-use items” – items which Israel believes could serve a different purpose, but in fact, these materials could be essential for people's basic humanitarian needs," he adds.

A cursory glance at the COGAT data may indicate that the number of rejected trucks is decreasing day by day, but the reality is quite different.

"The number of rejected trucks was initially higher. It appears to be decreasing in terms of quantity, but it's not decreasing because Israel isn't rejecting them. Now, we are not sending materials that we know will be rejected, that’s why the number of rejected materials is decreasing."

"Even materials as simple as sleeping bags in colours like green are rejected because they are ‘military coloured’. But these rules are not written anywhere, humanitarian organisations experience this firsthand as they go through it."

Reconstruction efforts

Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza, bordering on seven months now, has destroyed 70 percent of the homes in the besieged Palestinian enclave, according to the Palestinian Government Media Office.

Moreover, Israeli forces have been blocking the entry of essential medical supplies and medicines into Gaza, bombing hospitals, killing healthcare staff, and targeting ambulances. Currently, only 11 out of 36 hospitals have been left partially functioning.

The Turkish Red Crescent will also play a role in the reconstruction of Gaza in the future.

"All destroyed houses will need to be rebuilt, the healthcare system will need to be reestablished. The water infrastructure has suffered extensive damage and requires rebuilding. We've tackled similar challenges on a smaller scale after previous attacks, but this time it's much, much bigger."

An estimated 1.5 million out of the 2.2 million total population of Gaza is sheltering in Rafah, since they have nowhere to flee in the face of an Israeli offensive that has levelled large swathes of the urban landscape in the rest of the territory and killed at least 34,454 people.

Before October 7, only 260,000 people lived there. Now, there is a population of over six times that amount.

"According to humanitarian aid standards, a minimum of 4 square metres of enclosed space should be allocated per person. This is the minimum requirement,” Kucuk says.

“Currently in Rafah, there is only 1 square metre of enclosed space per person. So, we are far below the minimum standard, by four times. This brings with it the risk of major outbreaks of diseases like we fear. People are struggling to survive in just 1 square metre inside Gaza."

Despite these many restrictions and difficulties, it is crucial to note that the Turkish Red Crescent continues to operate through all obstacles, and carries out its activities thanks to the country’s long-standing relations and access in the region.

Kucuk adds that Türkiye's position as the country providing the most aid to Gaza is actually a reflection of its global sensitivity towards humanitarian assistance.

According to the Global Humanitarian Assistance 2022 Report prepared by the UK-based organisation Development Initiatives, Türkiye ranks 1st in the world in humanitarian assistance in proportion to its gross national income, with $5.587 billion.

In terms of the amount, Türkiye ranked third in the world in 2013, 2014 and 2015, second in 2016 and 2020, and first in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2020, Türkiye also secured its place as the country providing the most aid relative to its gross national income.