The Turkish military will send an aid vessel to famine-hit Somalia, the Turkish Armed Forces, or TSK, said on its website Monday.
A frigate belonging to the Turkish Navy will accompany the vessel and then join the international force in the region to fight against piracy, it said.
Last week Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Somalia, the country that has been worst affected by a prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa. The United Nations has officially declared a famine in five regions of the country.
Some $350 million was pledged to Somalia during a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, last week in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a fast-breaking dinner Sunday in Istanbul. “This is a very small sum and almost half of it is Turkey’s donation. We are trying to reach the $500 million target, which is the urgent need of the Somalis.”
Turkey had collected a total of $137 million for Somalia and Africa by Thursday last week. A portion of the donations came as a result of aid campaigns initiated by the Turkish Prime Ministry and the Religious Affairs Directorate.
Erdoğan said the Turkish Red Crescent was continuing efforts to erect a tent site for 2,000 in the country and added that the Turkish Health Ministry had set up a field hospital with five more to come.
Erdoğan also said Turkey was set to reopen a hospital compound within the next four or five months.
The Turkish prime minister also said security was the top challenge in Somalia and added that the Turkish Foreign Ministry was set to take steps to help facilitate a settlement to Somalia’s internal conflict.
The drought has also hit parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda.
Compiled from AFP and AP by the Daily News staff.
A frigate belonging to the Turkish Navy will accompany the vessel and then join the international force in the region to fight against piracy, it said.
Last week Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Somalia, the country that has been worst affected by a prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa. The United Nations has officially declared a famine in five regions of the country.
Some $350 million was pledged to Somalia during a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, last week in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a fast-breaking dinner Sunday in Istanbul. “This is a very small sum and almost half of it is Turkey’s donation. We are trying to reach the $500 million target, which is the urgent need of the Somalis.”
Turkey had collected a total of $137 million for Somalia and Africa by Thursday last week. A portion of the donations came as a result of aid campaigns initiated by the Turkish Prime Ministry and the Religious Affairs Directorate.
Erdoğan said the Turkish Red Crescent was continuing efforts to erect a tent site for 2,000 in the country and added that the Turkish Health Ministry had set up a field hospital with five more to come.
Erdoğan also said Turkey was set to reopen a hospital compound within the next four or five months.
The Turkish prime minister also said security was the top challenge in Somalia and added that the Turkish Foreign Ministry was set to take steps to help facilitate a settlement to Somalia’s internal conflict.
The drought has also hit parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda.
Compiled from AFP and AP by the Daily News staff.
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