Africa: Turkish aid agency opens well in Cameroon

By Ahmet Furkan Mercan and Zuhal Demirci

ANKARA

Turkey’s state-run aid agency has opened a well in the central African country of Cameroon as part of a clean water project.

Turkey’s Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) inaugurated the well in a section of the capital Yaounde with the attendance of residents and local officials.

The well is expected to help around 1,000 people get access to clean water, according to the agency.

Speaking at the ceremony, Izzet Ahmet Bozbey, TIKA’s coordinator in Cameroon, underlined the importance of access to clean water for a healthy future.

“This is a gift of the Turkish people to the friendly people of Cameroon,” Bozbey said.

Cameroonian authorities thanked TIKA for the well.

Separately, in the East African country of Uganda, some 35 urology surgeries were performed free of charge as part of another TIKA project, according to the agency.

The surgeries were performed at Naguru Hospital in the capital Kampala on July 21-29 in cooperation with Doctors Worldwide and Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU).

Previously a lack of equipment had put the vitally needed surgeries out of reach.