UPDATES WITH MORE MEAT DISTRIBUTIONS
By Sena Guler and Nilay Kar Onum
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish aid agencies have been distributing meat from animals sacrificed on Eid Al-Adha to thousands of needy people across the world.
Several Muslim-majority countries around the world marked the first day of the four-day Eid Al-Adha holiday on Tuesday, while some others, including Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Iran began observing the festival on Wednesday.
The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), one of Turkey's leading aid groups, sacrificed thousands of animals in northern Syria.
The foundation is expected to distribute the meat to around 215,000 people in Afrin, Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Al-Bab, Jarablus and Azaz, the regions liberated as part of Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield.
It also gave meat to thousands of families in the South Asian country of Nepal.
Turkish Red Crescent, locally known as Kizilay, sacrificed 150 animals in the African country of Kenya.
“We’ve provided Eid meat to 3,000 families. If it is estimated that every family consists of at least five persons then Turkish Red Crescent provided aid to around 15,000 people in Nairobi,” Ismail Hakki Turunc, deputy head of the organization, said.
The organization also sacrificed animals in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Kenya, Afghanistan, Jerusalem as well as Turkey.
The Turkish Red Crescent will also distribute meat to 10,000 people in Kyrgyzstan until Aug. 24 via the Kyrgyz Red Crescent, the head of the latter Azamat Bayalinov told Anadolu Agency.
The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) will distribute meat to around 5,000 people in Thai provinces, including Pattani and Yala.
Seven volunteers along with a Turkish actor Celal Al Nebioglu and singer Resul Aydemir also participated in the distribution of meat to needy families.
The foundation also sacrificed 34,000 small cows in Ethiopia. The meat is distributed in camps where people who were internally displaced, stay.
Yuksel Sezgin, TDV project manager, said that number of migrants living in camps was raising day by day.
“This situation causes big problems in many areas, especially for food,” Sezgin told Anadolu Agency.
The foundation’s Niger coordinator Mahmut Temelli also shared information about the largest sacrifice organization on the African continent.
“With donations, we will reach around 2 million vulnerable Nigeriens this year. We are conducting our efforts with a team of 400 people, including volunteers from Turkey.”
Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Tanzania’s Zanzibar were also among the places that the TDV sacrificed animals and distributed meat to people in need.
The Directorate of Religious Affairs also sacrificed 300 animals in the western African country of Nigeria, according to Ali Kasikirik, religious affairs attache of the Turkish Embassy in the capital Abuja.
The meat will be distributed to around 50,000 people in at least 10 states of Nigeria.
Hasan Etae, head of the Friend Foundation, TDV’s partner foundation in the country, expressed gratitude for the aid.
Etae said: “We have been working with Turkey for five years…Every family that we’ve provided aid has sympathy for Turkey.
“We are always praying for Turkey.”
The same foundation also sacrificed 229 animals for distributing among needy people in Azerbaijan.
The Cansuyu Charity and Solidarity Organization, another Turkish aid agency, distributed meat to 3,500 Muslim families in the war-torn Philippine city of Marawi.
*Nazli Yuzbasioglu from Ankara, Nezir Aliyev from Krygzstan, Sefa Sahin from Thailand, Tufan Aktas from Ethiopia, Rauf Maltas from Niger, Gokhan Kavak from Nigeria, Ruslan Rehimov from Azerbaijan, Muhammed Emin Canik from Nepal, Omer Koparan from Syria, Selman Tur from Phillipines contributed to this story.
