JUBA, South Sudan

Turkey’s state-run aid body on Friday donated personal protective equipment to South Sudan to support the country’s fight against the contagious coronavirus.

The aid by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) also included 10 street spraying machines, 50 goggles, 50 disposable surgical gowns, 140 packages of surgical masks, and 50 bottles of hand sanitizers.

Turkey’s Ambassador to South Sudan Tugrul Biltekin said that this is the fourth batch of Turkish aid for the people of South Sudan as part coronavirus relief efforts.

“The first two were food aid for more than 3,000 families, and the other one was the hygiene supplies for women and children in more than 1,000 families, and this is the fourth batch of personal protective equipment for the Health Ministry to help the COVID-19 fight,” Biltekin said during the handover ceremony.

He revealed that their fifth batch is going to be sewing machines for making face masks and later those who are using the sewing machines will own them after producing face masks.

“Our aid is going to continue, we have four organizations in South Sudan, TIKA is the one who organized this donation, the Turkish Red Crescent is also helping South Sudan’s Red Cross. We are here for our brothers and sisters of South Sudan to help each other, together and hand in hands we will combat the pandemic.”

Also addressing the ceremony was South Sudanese Health Minister Elizabeth Achuei Yol, who appreciated the Turkish government for its support against the pandemic.

“I am happy to receive this generous donation from the Turkish government, it is going to help people very much.”

She told the Turkish ambassador that her country will continue to work with Turkish government, also demanding more support.

South Sudan has confirmed 1,952 coronavirus cases and 36 deaths so far although limited testing and social stigma is obscuring the true magnitude of the disease.