ISTANBUL 

The Turkish Red Crescent on Monday provided food and medical supplies to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is en route to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish Red Crescent delivered food and medical aid to the ships of the 50-strong flotilla, which are continuing their voyage through the Mediterranean in the area between Crete, the island of Cyprus, and Egypt.

Türkiye evacuates passengers from ship in distress

Earlier Monday, Türkiye coordinated the evacuation of passengers from the flotilla vessel Johnny M after it called for help due to its taking on water.

The Turkish Red Crescent and other authorities took action to coordinate the evacuation from the ship in distress, which carried passengers from countries such as Luxembourg, France, Finland, Mexico, and Malaysia.

On US social media platform Instagram, the flotilla emphasized that the operation was carried out smoothly thanks to the rapid coordination of the Turkish government and the contributions of the Turkish Red Crescent on the ground during the evacuation process.

Gaza aid flotilla

The Global Sumud Flotilla, including dozens of ships, has been sailing towards Gaza for days. The fleet carries a large amount of humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, and constitutes the largest fleet to set sail for Gaza to date.

Sumud, which means “steadfastness” or “unwavering determination” in Arabic, gained new importance among the Palestinian people after the 1967 Arab–Israeli war (Six-Day War) to describe oppression and resistance.

​​​​​​​The concept of Sumud refers to the search for ways to resist the occupation and build alternative institutions through the Palestinians remaining on their land, keeping the Palestinian identity and culture alive, and non-violent civil disobedience. In Palestine, the olive tree and a pregnant peasant are used to illustrate this concept.