Ashraf AboArafe
Turkey prepares its aid in the Egyptian city of Arish for immediate action when aid flows into Gaza resume
Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, visited Sheikh Zuweid Hospital and Arish Port in the Egyptian city of Arish and reviewed the aid preparations.
In his speech during a Ramadan iftar banquet with the Palestinian brothers in the National Exhibition Hall of the Presidential Complex in Beştepe, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey has mobilized all its resources to stop the bloodshed and has sent approximately 100,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
As part of planning the aid activities undertaken by Turkey in cooperation with Egypt for the upcoming recovery and reconstruction phase, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, traveled to the city of Arish in North Sinai Governorate to assess the situation and monitor field preparations. Ambassador Shen first inspected the status of Turkish relief supplies in the logistics storage area with authorities at the El Arish port. He then visited the Sheikh Zuweid City Hospital, the closest to the Rafah border, and received information about the infrastructure and procedures put in place by the Egyptian authorities to provide first-class medical services to patients in Gaza. He expressed his wishes for a speedy recovery to the Egyptian patients receiving treatment at the hospital’s dialysis center and distributed Eid gifts. Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen said, “Although I am saddened to see young people undergoing dialysis, I appreciate the dialysis service this regional hospital provides to the local population as well as to our brothers in Gaza, using the best technology and facilities.
I have relatives there who suffer from kidney failure, so I attach special importance to dialysis and kidney transplantation. For this reason, I support the Turkish Endowment for Organ Transplantation and work closely with it.”
He explained that thanks to the proactive and visionary approach of the Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Endowment has also developed a cooperative relationship with Egypt.
Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen also met with the Chief Physician of Sheikh Zuweid Hospital, the first and most urgent Egyptian hospital for Gaza’s sick and wounded, located 15 km from the Rafah land crossing, and received information about the services provided to Gaza’s patients.
Ambassador Şen also inspected the field hospital established by the Egyptian army in the hospital garden with financial contributions from Turkey to serve Gaza’s patients only, and expressed his appreciation for these efforts.
Ambassador Şen also viewed other medical and logistical supplies, including Generators and ambulances, stored in warehouses in the region, are ready to be sent to Gaza. Shen also thanked the North Sinai Governorate, the Egyptian Red Crescent, and the El Arish Port authorities. During his visit, Ambassador Shen was accompanied by officials from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority and the Turkish Red Crescent.
