Turkish relief agency distributes iftar meals in Gaza

GAZA CITY

A Turkish state-run aid agency has begun distributing iftar (breakfast) meals to poor Palestinian families in the blockaded Gaza Strip for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) said Monday -- the first day of Ramadan -- that it had already distributed iftar meals to 1,000 families in the village of Juhor al-Dik in the northern Gaza Strip.

TIKA plans to continue delivering food parcels to poor families across the coastal enclave throughout the fasting month of Ramadan.

Several Turkish government bodies, including TIKA and the Turkish Red Crescent, along with NGOs such as the IHH and Yardimeli, have been active in delivering aid and supporting development projects in the Gaza Strip.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat