The first UN truck with humanitarian aid donated by people in the Republic of Cyprus was loaded today for onward transport to Turkey in cooperation with Turkish Cypriot relief efforts.
The aid was collected by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and is being send the earthquake victims in Turkey. Schools, embassies, non-governmental organizations, organized groups and citizens of the Republic of Cyprus contributed in the effort.
UNFICYP started accepting humanitarian aid at Ledra Palace hotel, through the Fulbright gates, on Sunday, February 12.
In statements to journalists, Major Gavin Randell, said that “for the last few days we have been receiving supplies from local people and local agencies and today we are loading them onto the trucks to be able to transport them to the “Turkish Cypriot authorities”, who will be able to take them where they are needed most.”
He added that in total, with today “we have received more than 100 boxes of supplies. More than half of them are blankets and about a quarter of them are clothes. The rest is food and sanitary supplies for babies as well.”
In detail, the supplies include dry food, water, sleeping bags, blankets, winter clothes and shoes, personal hygiene items, detergents, cleaning supplies, children’s diapers, toys and dog food. It is estimated that the humanitarian aid collected is about two tons.
Randell said that these are all important and truly critical supplies that are desperately needed in Turkey and Syria right now.
Invited to comment on the fact that the illegal regime in Cyprus occupied north would not accept help from the Republic of Cyprus, and therefore this is being done with the help of the peacekeeping force, Randell said that “as UNFICYP we are really happy to serve all the people of Cyprus and we are really here to make sure the supplies get to where they are needed the most.”
According to Randell, the humanitarian aid will depart from the Ledra Palace hotel, for later transfer to Turkey in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot relief efforts. It is added that the humanitarian aid will be shipped from the occupied port of Famagusta.
Source: Cyprus News Agency