Türkiye’s first lady offers support to orphaned, vulnerable children of Gaza

CAIRO

Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdogan on Wednesday expressed Türkiye’s readiness to host orphaned children of Gaza until a permanent cease-fire is achieved and normal conditions prevail in the blockaded enclave.

Emine Erdogan accompanied Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his official visit to Cairo on Wednesday. She met her Egyptian first lady Entissar Amer after the official welcoming ceremony.

During the closed-door meeting, expanding aid to Gaza and addressing what can be done to solve the humanitarian crisis were discussed.

Special attention was given to the measures devised for children who became orphans due to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.

Emine Erdogan highlighted the need for all countries to unite their efforts for Gaza.

Entissar Amer expressed that the visit brought great joy to the Egyptian people and conveyed her congratulations for organizing the One Heart Summit last November in Istanbul.

Türkiye’s Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas accompanied Emine Erdogan.

The Turkish first lady also paid a visit to the Egyptian Red Crescent to inspect the organization's aid efforts for Gaza, as well as the Haya Karima Foundation, which, she said, "was the first organization to be present with a large team of volunteers at the Rafah border crossing."

Since a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, the Israeli offensive into Gaza has killed more than 28,000 people and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling this January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul ​​