“Let’s Wrap the Wounds of Sudan Together”

Sudan had recently experienced one of the biggest floods in its history in August. According to the report by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 245,700 people had been affected by the flood throughout 15 states, with 32,851 buildings were destroyed and another 16,284 buildings were damaged. One of the countries that extends a helping hand and provide first aid assistance to heal the wounds of Sudan is Turkey. Immediately after the flood, NGO members of UNIW Humanitarian Aid Platform (IYP) led by Turkish Red Crescent had organized an aid campaign.

Assessment Visit
Our platform members had organized a quick evaluation team delegation to visit Sudan from 6-8 September and make the appropriate assessment. Following the findings of the visit to affected disaster area, a list of urgent needs was made with consultation from local authorities and the first 1,000 emergency supplies were distributed.

Evaluation Meeting
On 13 September, members of the platform together with Turkish Red Cresent and AFAD Officials had met at Turkish Red Crescent Istanbul Headquarters to arrange a road map from the assessment visit. In the meeting, the outlined priority needs are shelter, health, education and food materials. It was then decided to launch an emergency humanitarian campaign without delay. The slogan of the campaign was “Let’s Wrap the Wounds ot Sudan Together”. It was agreed that the aid materials will be provided collectively by Humanitarian Aid Platform members and will be sent to Sudan by a military aircraft from Ankara, with the campaign be known to the public through a press release.

A new campaign was launched with the name “Let’s Wrap the Wounds of Sudan Together”
More than 20 member NGOs of the Humanitarian Aid Platform had heed the call by The Union of NGOs of the Islamic World and organized a press conference on 17 September to launch a humanitarian aid campaign called “Let’s Wrap the Wounds of Sudan Together”.

In the opening speech of the event, the President of Turkish Red Cresent, Mr kerem Kinik said, “In the first act since the flood disaster that left about 350,000 people homeless in 16 states of Sudan, we had extended help to 1,000 families.” Mr Kinik added that they aim to deliver 27 tons of aid materials, including tents, food materials, cleaning equipments and medicines to Sudan by plane, on the next day. He said, “We will show the people of Sudan that they are not alone”.

Afterwards, UNIW Secretary General, Atty. Ali Kurt stated that there are more than 20 prominent humanitarian aid organizations in Humanitarian Aid Platform, which are formed by non-governmental organizations that engaged in humanitarian activities, under the umbrella of The Union of NGOs of the Islamic World.

According to the Secretary General, “This platform aims to foster cooperation and coordination between our NGOs in helping disaster areas. It previously had assisted our Syrian brothers and sisters through “One Bread One Blanket” campaign, and we had also organized “I Need You” humanitarian campaigns for those at Central Africa, Yemen and Gaza. Now, as members of Humanitarian Aid Platform, we are launching a new campaign with the slogan “Let’s Wrap the Wounds of Sudan Together”, which had affected approximately 65,232 families.

In our initial step, we will send over an aircraft with emergency aids
The organizations that supported this campaign are, AID International Doctors Association, Anatolia Education and Dakwah Volunteers Platform, Aziz Mahmut Hudayi Foundation, Besir Association, Deniz Feneri Association, Hand-in-Hand Association, Gozbebekleri Aid and Solidarity Association, Hayrat Humanitarian Relief Association, The Foundation for Human Rights, Freedom and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), Isra International Aid and Solidarity Association, Iyilikder Institute for Assistance and Solidarity Association (Iyilik-DER), Sadakatasi Foundation, Turkey Religious Foundation, Verenel Association, and Wefa International Humanitarian Aid Organisation (WEFA).

Atty. Ali Kurt thanked the member organizations that supported the campaign, “In the light of the on-ground observations made by our colleagues and the information we received from local authorities, in the first step of cooperation and coordination among our platform, we will send over an aid plane that will depart from Ankara to Khartoum on 18 September 2019. The cargo plane will primarily carry tents, blankets, medicines, medical supplies, emergency food packages, cleaning equipments and hygiene kits.”

First Sudan Aid Plane Taking Off
The first plane of the humanitarian aid campaign, carried out in cooperation of IYP members, had departed from Ankara Etimesgut Military Airbase to the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, on 18 September. The plane departure was accompanied by the representatives of NGOs that participate in the campaign. The plane carried 27 tons of humanitarian aid items, consisted of tents, blankets, hygiene kits, food and medicine.

With donations collected in this campaign, “Turkish Villages” are planned to be built in accordance to the local architecture, in the most affected disaster areas.

In addition, mobile clinic services are provided in various regions and emergency health assistance are targeted to be accessed by the locals in need.