ANKARA

Eight trucks of humanitarian aid sent by Turkiye for Ukrainians in need due to the war and those who fled the country have been delivered to local authorities in Ukraine and neighboring Moldova, said the state-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) on Wednesday.

In a statement, the agency said that while five trucks of aid – including food, personal care items, blankets, beds, and tents – were delivered to authorities in Ukraine, three more were delivered to Moldova, where the UN says some 80,000 Ukrainians have fled due to Russia’s war on their country.

Quoting Sergiu Diaconu from Moldova’s Interior Ministry, the statement said: “We face a large population shift.”

Turkiye is “one of the first countries to lend a helping hand,” he said, adding that Moldova is “grateful to the helpful Turkish people.”

According to the statement, the AFAD team continues to distribute aid to those in need at the Siret Border Gate on the Romanian border with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, an 11-member AFAD humanitarian aid team continues to work in the region to gauge the humanitarian needs in Ukraine and to coordinate the aid sent from Turkiye.

The humanitarian aid trucks sent to the Ukrainian people and Turkish citizens in the region include 1,536 food parcels, 360 family tents, 16 general purpose tents, 680 beds, 680 bedding sets, and 2,640 blankets.

Meanwhile, a team from the Turkish Red Crescent offered refreshments to locals with a mobile vehicle they set up in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.

The metropolitan municipalities of Konya and Gaziantep provinces as well as the Esenler Municipality in Istanbul are also set to send 15 truckloads of aid material, including food, clothing, hygiene materials and blankets, to Ukraine.

The municipalities have been in contact with AFAD which will facilitate the distribution of the items.

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, it has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, Britain, and US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.

At least 142 civilians, including 13 children, have been killed and 408 others, including 26 children, injured in Ukraine, according to UN figures.

Around 874,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the UN Refugee Agency said on Wednesday.​​​​​​​

* Writing by Ali Murat Alhas, Handan Kazanci