Turkish group among first to send aid to ‘Yolanda’ victims


Date posted: November 20, 2014

MANILA, Philippines–Unknown to many Filipinos, a Turkish aid organization was among the first to respond to the devastation caused by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in Eastern Visayas last year.

Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) was one of the first international groups to send relief teams to Tacloban City, ground zero for the most powerful storm ever to hit land.

The teams arrived in the city two days after Yolanda struck the region on Nov. 8, 2013.

They brought humanitarian aid, psychosocial support and educational assistance to the survivors, and helped rebuild damaged homes.

Kimse Yok Mu is Turkey’s largest aid organization. It was established in 1999, months after Turkey was hit by a devastating earthquake.

Scholarship for children

Just a month after Yolanda, Kimse Yok Mu was able to raise $2 million in donations, which went to relief operations for survivors in Tacloban City.

Part of the aid was sending 20 students to a private school in Manila. The group will shoulder the students’ expenses for four years. According to a Kimse Yok Mu fact sheet, the aid group has fully paid two years of the four-year scholarship of the students.

The group also donated 105 computers for schools in Tacloban City. It is also paying for the vocational training of 210 students from the city.

Kimse Yok Mu also spent $100,000 for the renovation of a school and $27,000 for the repair of an orphanage in Tacloban.

The group distributed $489,000 in food aid and clothing, 500 kilos of medicine, and gave a $37,000 ambulance to the city.

Medical team

A 23-member medical team worked in disaster areas, apart from a five-man psychosocial team that offered psychological support for the survivors.

The group also facilitated the renovation of two damaged clinics, which cost $40,000, and the drilling of 10 water wells in Tacloban City.

Source: Inquirer.net , November 18, 2014


Related News

Turkey cooperating with Israel to help Gaza

Diplomatic sources confirmed that an official from the Turkish Red Crescent went to Israel to coordinate humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza. “There is no other way to provide aid to Gaza,” said the sources on Thursday. Dismissing claims that the Turkish official will be negotiating a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza, sources said Turkey is only in contact with the officials from Hamas and the US regarding the Palestinian territory.

Kimse Yok Mu reaches out to Syrians in joint project with UNHCR

Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Kimse Yok Mu Secretary-General Savaş Metin said they have been able to reach out to 17,000 people from 2,900 families with this project, which will conclude by the end of February.

Hizmet is not a terror group, they embraces the entire human family

I’m saddened to hear that the Hizmet Movement here is being categorized as a terror group. To classify them as terrorists in any form is a great misrepresentation. And I consider it a privilege and an honor to be associated with them and to be part of the brotherhood. They’re a benefit to the Muslim community and humanity as a whole.

Palauan President: We would like to participate in Turkish Language Olympics

The President Remengesau expressed his pleasure to receive the delegation and delivered a presentation on the Republic of Palau and its people. He further accentuated the significant role that intercultural activities will play in boosting Turkish-Palauan bilateral relations. He also expressed his willingness to have Palauan student participate in the coming Turkish Language Olympics.

Ankara’s soft-power dilemma

Turkey’s major assets in terms of successful diplomacy and soft-power policy included Turkish schools opened by the Hizmet movement all around the world; the International Turkish Language Olympiads organized by the same group; business associations within and outside the borders of Turkey; intercultural and interfaith dialogue societies; foreign language publications of Turkish society; Turkish hospitals in several countries; and Turkish international humanitarian aid organizations.

Nizamiye Will Perform 15,000 Cardiac Procedures In Nigeria

For Muslims, myself included, the inspiration to serve humanity through education is coming from Hizmet philosophy which states ‘Serve human beings irrespective of differences in colour, race, ethnicity or nationality, in order to please the creator’. Otherwise, it can be rephrased to read ‘Serve the Created, in order to please the Creator’.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Fethullah Gülen’s Eid message: Let’s pray for each other

Kimse Yok Mu offers a hand of compassion to Kyrgyz orphans

Turkey’s picture on freedom of the press bleak on WPFD

Police raid house of 96-year-old philanthropist in İzmir

Albania: Erdoğan given appropriate response to ‘political’ request on Turkish schools

Fethullah Gulen Denies Coup Involvement

Kimse Yok Mu continues relief efforts in Gaza

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News