By Hanife Sevinc and Muhammet Ikbal Arslan</p> <p>ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish aid agencies rolled up their sleeve to aid cyclone-hit southeastern African countries on Friday.</p> <p>The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) will send humanitarian aid to areas hit by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, the state-run aid agency said in a statement.</p> <p>The aid will be delivered in a ship leaving from Mozambique’s capital Maputo to 600 families in need.</p> <p>The ship will also carry humanitarian aids provided by various national and international agencies.</p> <p>At least 500 containers with food and personal materials will reach Mozambique’s Beira city on Sunday.</p> <p>The Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) is also preparing to send aid to cyclone-hit countries, it said in a statement.</p> <p>The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) will also send a relief team to the regions.</p> <p>Cyclone Idai, made a landfall in Mozambique's port city of Beira March 14 with winds of up to 110 miles (177 kilometers) per hour, killing several people in Mozambique and neighboring Zimbabwe.</p> <p>Television stations in South Africa showed footage of trapped victims being rescued from villages and a stadium.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi said Monday he believes the death toll following Idai's landfall could reach at least 1,000. But as of Friday, 300 deaths had officially been confirmed.</p> <p>According to UN statements and local media, tens of thousands of victims have lost their homes, crops washed away and roads have been damaged across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.</p> <p>Gift of the Givers is also offering relief and rescue missions in Zimbabwe and Malawi.</p> <p>* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur
