A ship carrying 682 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and a portable hospital was being readied Tuesday for dispatching to the besieged Libyan city of Misrata by an Istanbul-based Islamic aid group.The cargo, worth 5 million Turkish Liras, is the first being sent by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or İHH, and was expected to leave Istanbul’s Zeyport seaport Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, reaching Misrata within 10 days.“We want aid transported by this ship to be sent to the Libyan people, who have been struck by both the Libyan administration and NATO forces, [which intend to] conquer the Islamic world,” İHH Chairman Bülent Yıldırım said Tuesday in a press conference at Zeyport.Yıldırım said the aid on the ship would bring İHH’s contribution to humanitarian assistance to Libya up to 6.5 million liras’ worth, a figure he said they hoped to increase to 20 million liras in the near future.“We will be sending more humanitarian aid to the Libyan people,” Yıldırım said, adding that the İHH had already opened a branch in Benghazi and had applied to open two more new branches in Tripoli and Misrata.“[After it reaches Libya] the aid will then be distributed to civilians through our Benghazi branch, two new branches [in Tripoli and Misrata] and hopefully other new İHH branches in the future,” the chairman said.Responding to recent claims in the media that the İHH aid is intended for Libyan opposition forces, Yıldırım said the foundation’s only objective is to provide help to people affected by the conflict, especially children.“The aid will be distributed directly to the people. We do not want the aid to be perceived as political,” he said.The ship set to depart for Misrata will be carrying food, powdered milk, infant formula, medicines, medical equipment and a 40-ton portable hospital with a 50-bed capacity sent by the Qatar Air Forces.It has been impossible for groups like İHH and international organizations such as the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid to Libyan territories under Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s control, İHH press representative Salih Bilici told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Tuesday.“Unprotected people are being killed by bombs dropped from the air by international forces that want to conquer [countries] at any opportunity, and by ground-based bomb attacks by state [armed forces], who pretend they own the country,” Yıldırım said.One İHH activist will travel onboard with the ship crew during the journey. Representatives from the organization said it was not clear yet whether the ship would be asked to wait in international waters before anchoring at Misrata due to the city’s chaotic situation.
SHIPPING NEWS
12 April 2011 - 14:44
Turkish İHH sends 682 tons of humanitarian aid to Libya
A ship carrying 682 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and a portable hospital was being readied Tuesday for dispatching to the besieged Libyan city of Misrata by an Istanbul-based Islamic aid group.
SHIPPING NEWS
12 April 2011 - 14:44
A ship carrying 682 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and a portable hospital was being readied Tuesday for dispatching to the besieged Libyan city of Misrata by an Istanbul-based Islamic aid group.The cargo, worth 5 million Turkish Liras, is the first being sent by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or İHH, and was expected to leave Istanbul’s Zeyport seaport Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, reaching Misrata within 10 days.“We want aid transported by this ship to be sent to the Libyan people, who have been struck by both the Libyan administration and NATO forces, [which intend to] conquer the Islamic world,” İHH Chairman Bülent Yıldırım said Tuesday in a press conference at Zeyport.Yıldırım said the aid on the ship would bring İHH’s contribution to humanitarian assistance to Libya up to 6.5 million liras’ worth, a figure he said they hoped to increase to 20 million liras in the near future.“We will be sending more humanitarian aid to the Libyan people,” Yıldırım said, adding that the İHH had already opened a branch in Benghazi and had applied to open two more new branches in Tripoli and Misrata.“[After it reaches Libya] the aid will then be distributed to civilians through our Benghazi branch, two new branches [in Tripoli and Misrata] and hopefully other new İHH branches in the future,” the chairman said.Responding to recent claims in the media that the İHH aid is intended for Libyan opposition forces, Yıldırım said the foundation’s only objective is to provide help to people affected by the conflict, especially children.“The aid will be distributed directly to the people. We do not want the aid to be perceived as political,” he said.The ship set to depart for Misrata will be carrying food, powdered milk, infant formula, medicines, medical equipment and a 40-ton portable hospital with a 50-bed capacity sent by the Qatar Air Forces.It has been impossible for groups like İHH and international organizations such as the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid to Libyan territories under Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s control, İHH press representative Salih Bilici told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Tuesday.“Unprotected people are being killed by bombs dropped from the air by international forces that want to conquer [countries] at any opportunity, and by ground-based bomb attacks by state [armed forces], who pretend they own the country,” Yıldırım said.One İHH activist will travel onboard with the ship crew during the journey. Representatives from the organization said it was not clear yet whether the ship would be asked to wait in international waters before anchoring at Misrata due to the city’s chaotic situation.
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