Turkish agencies provide aid to flood-affected Sudanese

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Turkish organizations operating in Sudan began providing humanitarian aid Wednesday to Sudanese affected by recent floods.

Ankara's Ambassador to Khartoum Irfan Neziroglu held a meeting with Turkish groups to discuss “arrangements of aid distribution," according to the official Sudanese News Agency.

It said Neziroglu said some organizations have already started distributing meals and bread in Khartoum.

He indicated that a Turkish humanitarian aid plane will arrive in Sudan in the coming days.

Late Wednesday, the Interior Ministry announced the death toll hit 103 with 70,000 houses affected.

The Defense and Security Council declared a state of emergency Saturday for three months to deal with the floods, considering it a "natural disaster area."

Turkish-Sudanese relations undergone a major improvement during the past two decades since the Justice and Development party came to power in Turkey in 2002 and launched an ambitious plan to enhance communication with African nations.

Several Turkish organizations are active providing humanitarian and development aid in Sudan, with the most prominent the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).