Kimse Yok Mu becomes first charity to reach Philippines from Turkey

Filipino soldiers bring Tacloban residents onto a military plane leaving Tacloban airport in central Philippines November 12, 2013. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Turgut Engin)
Filipino soldiers bring Tacloban residents onto a military plane leaving Tacloban airport in central Philippines November 12, 2013. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Turgut Engin)


Date posted: November 12, 2013

Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) was the first such organization from Turkey to send aid to the Philippines, which is struggling to recover after being hit on Friday by Typhoon Haiyan.

Reaching the area with military helicopters, a team of 10 people began search and rescue activities and 25 tons of food packages were distributed to 6,500 victims in cooperation with Philippine officials.

An Airbus cargo plane loaded with tents, blankets, kitchen utensils and other aid items provided by the Turkish Red Crescent was also sent to the Philippines through the coordination of the Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD).

“Aid from the Turkish people reached the Philippines via our foundation and with the cooperation of Philippine military helicopters, it is being distributed to disaster victims,” said İsmail Büyükay, the leader of the team in the Philippines.

He also noted that the region is in a worse situation than seen on television, as many roads are closed and there is no way to reach certain districts.

“We will continue to deliver our aid to victims in coordination with officials from the Philippines on a daily basis. However, after the emergency aid, there has to be a permanent supply of aid.

Many survivors of the disaster have not only lost their loved ones, but also all they had. In addition to a lack of drinking water, food, medicine and shelter are scarce. Dead bodies have been left to rot in the fields or at the sides of roads, which is increasing the risk of disease.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent a telegram to President Benigno Aquino III, offering his condolences and pledging to deliver support and aid to the disaster-stricken country.

Philippine officials have projected the death toll will climb even higher when emergency crews reach areas cut off by flooding and landslides. Even for the disaster-prone Philippines, which regularly contends with earthquakes, volcanoes and tropical cyclones, Typhoon Haiyan appears to be the deadliest natural disaster on record. Weather officials said Haiyan had sustained winds of 235 kph (147 mph) with gusts of 275 kph (170 mph) when it made landfall.

The death toll is estimated to be around 10,000 people in the Philippines with the most affected city being Tacloban.

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen donates to Philippines

As Kimse Yok Mu continues to distribute aid in the Philippines, Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen donated $10,000 to the foundation for victims of the disaster.

Kimse Yok Mu General Director İsmail Cingöz stated that the foundation will deliver $1 million worth of aid to the Philippines. “We hope that this figure will increase with the help of the Turkish people,” he noted.

“According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [UNOCHA], 4.3 million people have been affected by the typhoon and 330,000 people are now homeless. Ninety percent of the houses in Tacloban city have been damaged,” AFAD stated recently.

Source: Today's Zaman , November 12, 2013


Related News

An iftar dinner by KYM for Thai Muslims

As a part of its Ramadan agenda, KYM Foundation is organizing aid trips to Far Eastern countries. One of the KYM coordinators visiting Thailand, Ibrahim Serafettin Ekiz, reported that thousands have been hosted at iftar dinners for five days in Bangkok and Muslim-populated southern cities. Ekiz noted mostly the poor showed up for the dinners yet there were rich ones among who would like to share the abundance of Ramadan.

Kimse Yok Mu launches large-scale aid campaign for Syrian refugees

İPEK ÜZÜM, İSTANBUL Turkish aid organizations have launched a joint large-scale aid campaign to provide food and shelter from the cold to Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey to escape from the intensifying violence in their country. Syrian refugees in Turkey, whose number has reached 132,920 according to a written statement recently released by the […]

Kimse Yok Mu provides medical supplies for Haiti

Kimse Yok Mu Foundation (KYM) and the US-based Embrace Relief jointly donated three-container-loads of medical supplies to Haiti combating cholera epidemic. The two of the containers were delivered to the hospital KYM built in the capital city Port-au-Prince and the remaining is to depart in two weeks.

The philosophical and intellectual contest “Know Thyself” held in Bishkek

The contest aims to ensure students are informed about philosophies and civilizations of world nations and promote tolerance and dialogue among civilizations and contribute to the emergence of a generation of young intellectuals.

Hizmet Relief ends Cataract Campaign, starts Water Well Campaign

Hizmet Relief, shortly after changing its name, starts aid campaigns one after another. It finishes the “Cataract Campaign” and rushes to finalize “Water Wells Campaign.” The cataract campaign started in July, the Hizmet Relief had targeted to collect $10,000 to treat 100 people. $300 more was collected, which will give 103 people their eyesight back.

Reactions pour in over Turks’ controversial arrest in Malaysia as UN joins calls against extradition

The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia has expressed serious concern about the recent arrests of three Turkish nationals in Malaysia, joining calls on the government to refrain from extradition.

Latest News

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

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Fethullah Gülen’s dialogue and tolerance discourse parallels Gandhi’s

UN Peace Conference renews commitment against extremism of all kinds

US assures private schools are under legal protection against closure

The First Private Kurdish TV Channel in Turkey

Local NGOs urge Georgian gov’t to avoid returning Turkish teacher back home

German view of Hizmet Movement (1)

Terrorism charges against Karaca do not make sense, CHP leader says

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News