Turkish charities organise aid for Palestine and beyond for Ramadan

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan has begun, and as always, Turkish charities have mobilised humanitarian aid to help disadvantaged communities around the world.

For the Turkish NGO IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation and Cansuyu Aid and Solidarity Association, the main focus in 2024 is Palestine's Gaza.

“It hurts us deeply to see the unspeakable horrors in Gaza, where there is so much devastation, so many children starved, malnourished, injured or orphaned day after day,” says Bilal Degirmenci, a coordinator from Cansuyu, about Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.

Israel's relentless war on Gaza has killed nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 73,400 since a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7.

For six days now, Palestinians in Gaza have been marking the holy month of fasting with the backdrop of bombs and further fatalities. Efforts to secure a ceasefire in time for the start of Ramadan, which began at the outset of this week, failed due to Israeli intransigence.

With its deadly assault, Israel, which is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, has displaced 85 percent of the territory’s population, and its crippling blockade has left millions facing starvation and famine.

Aid for Uganda and beyond

The Cansuyu association and IHH are also focusing its aid efforts on communities in need in Africa.

“Most of our Ramadan aid will go to Gaza, but we do not forget those who need our help in Africa. We have Ramadan activities in Uganda and several other African countries,” Degirmenci tells Turkish news agency Anadolu.

Muhammet Emin Esmer, the IHH official in charge of East and Southern Africa, says the foundation is providing food packages in different parts of Uganda.

The Turkish ambassador to Uganda, Fatih Ak, says Türkiye is intent on supporting the less privileged during the holy month of fasting.

“They (Turkish charities) are doing an excellent job with the assistance of the Ugandan authorities and their local contacts. It is impossible to explain the feeling we get when we share our food with our brothers and sisters, especially during Ramadan,” he says.

Türkiye Diyanet Vakfi (TDV) is among Turkish charities ramping up efforts and delivering relief supplies in Uganda and beyond.

“Our focus is East, West and southern Africa this year. We have distributed Ramadan packages in Uganda, providing iftar (fast-breaking) meals and Eid clothes,” TDV coordinator Ilyas Bulut says.

“We plan to touch over 1 million people in need in different parts of the world during Ramadan this year,” he adds.

The Deniz Feneri Association is another Turkish organisation helping those in need in Uganda and parts of Africa.

“For this year, we have Ramadan activities in more than 25 countries, including Uganda, where we shall deliver meals to as many people as possible,” says Ensar Kucukkaltan, the group’s director of international affairs.

Genc Akademisyenler Birligi, a union of young academics from various universities in Türkiye, is also part of the Ramadan activities in Uganda.

The group’s iftar program will continue throughout the month, chairperson Yunus Kocabiyik says, adding: “The holy month of Ramadan reminds us of the people who need our compassion ... We strive to ensure that every child in the country is fed and educated.”