Turkey sends aid to Colombia's flood-hit Choco

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s state aid agency distributed aid last week in western Colombia after floods left more than 7,000 homeless.</p> <p>The Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) provided local farmers and shopkeepers equipment and materials to help in repairs of damaged buildings in Istmina, Choco, the agency said in a written statement on Sunday.</p> <p>TIKA also sent school supplies to 140 students in Andres Bello Primary School in the same region.</p> <p>Governor Jhoany Palacios had called for aid after flooding in the San Juan River devastated local people who were already living in extreme poverty, now having lost their livelihoods.</p> <p>TIKA sent locals construction tools such as shovels, chainsaws, drilling equipment and field measurement devices to help them resume work and repair damages from the deluge.</p> <p>Luis Ignacio Munoz, a member of the Colombian National Center for Disaster Management, coordinated the assistance.</p> <p>&quot;Our mission is to help international organizations to reach the assistance to the victims as soon as possible. We know that TIKA's activities cover not only the Choco region but also many parts of Colombia and we congratulate them for their efforts,&quot; he said.