UAE says it operated 260 aid flights to quake-hit Türkiye, Syria

ISTANBUL

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday said it ran 260 flights carrying humanitarian aid to quake-hit Türkiye and Syria since February.

The statement was made as the UAE's Defense Ministry has announced the successful completion of its relief campaign under the name "Operation Chivalrous Knight 2," during which 15,164 tons of humanitarian aid was delivered.

The statement added that the relief campaign was carried out by joint efforts of the Emirati national institutions including the "Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, Emirates Red Crescent, Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation."

Under the Emirati relief campaign, "8,252 tons of humanitarian aid were transported using four cargo ships to deliver relief and reconstruction materials to the affected areas."

"Operation Chivalrous Knight 2 stands as one of the most successful unified operations carried out by Emirati national institutions," the statement said.

On Feb. 6, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck numerous Turkish provinces, taking over 50,000 lives, while in Syria more than 8,000 people lost their lives.

Around 14 million people in Türkiye were affected by the quakes as well as many thousands of others in northern Syria.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar