Marking a Muslim holiday that stresses helping the needy, the Turkish Red Crescent on Wednesday slaughtered 100 cows to supply meat to some 70,000 needy people in Bangladesh, the group said.

An additional 100 cows are set to be sacrificed in the capital Dhaka on Thursday, the second day of the Eid al-Adha holiday in Bangladesh.

The group will distribute the meat to the needy in 13 districts across the country with the slogan “Keeping the blessings of sacrifice alive through the Turkish Red Crescent.”

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Bora Tumer, head of the group’s Bangladesh delegation, said: “The Turkish Red Crescent aims to reach approximately 5 million people (worldwide) in need through sacrificial livestock for slaughter.”

The humanitarian body also aims to reach approximately 2.5 million people in need abroad in exchange for 100,000 donor shares, he added.

On the group’s program in Bangladesh, he added: “In Bangladesh during the sacrificial period, 1,400 shares were donated, and slaughtering will be done in Dhaka in line with Islamic conditions and full adherence to hygiene rules.”

At the ceremony, representatives of Bangladesh’s Red Crescent Society expressed their gratitude to the Turkish government and the public for standing by the needy people of Bangladesh amid the ongoing global pandemic./aa

Afghanistan remains among the deadliest places for civilians in the world, said the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday, amid rising violence in the war-ravaged country.

The Geneva-based humanitarian organization said it received and treated up to 49,500 war-wounded civilians across Afghanistan in the first six months of this year alone.

“That is an average of 270 people every day needing treatment for what are often extremely serious and painful life-changing injuries,” said the ICRC, as the rejuvenated intra-Afghan peace talks in the Qatari capital Doha, last week failed to deliver a breakthrough.

According to the Red Cross, women and children make up nearly half of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan, as communities face the deadly resurgence of COVID-19 parallel to worsening violence in recent months.

There was no immediate reaction to the report by either Taliban insurgents or the Afghan government.

Eloi Fillion, the head of the ICRC in Afghanistan, appealed to parties to the conflict to do more to protect civilians.

"More than four decades of armed conflict in Afghanistan have all but decimated its health care system,” he said.

“With COVID-19 adding yet another deadly threat, access to health care is among the most pressing humanitarian needs everywhere in the country, regardless of the political affiliation.”

Meanwhile, authorities in the eastern Kunar province bordering Pakistan told Anadolu Agency that a group of Taliban insurgents staged multiple coordinated assaults on the Ghazni Abad district early on Wednesday.

According to the Afghan National Army’s 201st Sailab Corps, fighting was led by insurgents from across Pakistan.

Kabul has long accused Islamabad of backing and supporting the Taliban, a charge vehemently discarded by Pakistan.

Since the announcement of the US withdrawal plan in May, the Taliban claimed to have captured over 150 districts in Afghanistan, while Afghan forces say they are killing up to 200 insurgents daily./aa

Residents of the nation’s capital and surrounding communities in northern Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland, were under an air quality alert Wednesday because of wildfires burning thousands of miles away.

The National Weather Service issued an "Orange" alert for the Washington D.C. area, which warns that "sensitive" groups of people are in danger of breathing unhealthy air: young people, senior citizens and those with asthma, heart disease and lung problems. Those groups were warned to avoid strenuous activities and outdoor exercise.

There were already hazy skies in the D.C. region on Tuesday, as there have been for days in other parts of the country, but the Washington Metropolitan Council on Governments said the haziness reached unhealthy levels by Wednesday.

There are towering clouds of smoke that look like ash from a volcano, billowing from the so-called "Bootleg" fire in southern Oregon, about 2,735 miles (4,400 kilometers) from D.C.

Much of the smoke is being carried by the jet stream north to Canada and back down to the Midwest and on to the Eastern seaboard of the US.

And it is not just the Bootleg fire. The National Interagency Fire Center said there are 78 large wildfires burning in 13 mostly Western states, fueled by record-breaking heat that gripped the states of Oregon and Washington, along with Canada, in late June.

Even this week, temperatures in that region are above normal.

The possibility of thunderstorms in D.C. on Wednesday night would help clear the unhealthy air.

And even as D.C. dealt with bad air during the day, some lawmakers were indoors, lamenting that climate change is widely believed to be causing the extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires in the west, and now affecting the rest of the country.

Democratic congress Sean Casten from the state of Illinois, during a hearing Wednesday on extreme heat for an Environment Subcommittee, said, "This makes me very sad."

He pointed to a deadly heatwave in Chicago that killed more than 700 people in 1995. "The people who died were the least among us, people who couldn't afford air conditioning."

"Future generations," he said, are going to wonder why we did not do more to battle climate change./agencies

The Turkish Red Crescent extended a helping hand on Wednesday to 4,800 needy people in South Sudan during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

The aid group has distributed more than 3,000 kilograms of meat for the holiday to thousands of needy people in South Sudan.

The three-day holiday commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son at God's command before the last-minute divine substitute of a ram. During the holiday, sacrificed meat is distributed to the needy.

“We’ve provided Eid meat to 4,800 families. If it is estimated that every family consists of at least six persons,” said Akniyet Turganali, country representative for the Turkish Red Crescent in South Sudan.

“It’s a pleasure to be here to support these people. The Turkish Red Crescent provided food items during Ramadan and meat on Eid al-Adha,” he said while distributing packages to residents at the Jebel area in the capital, Juba.

Turkish Deputy Head of Mission for Political and Economic Affairs, Mustafa Kemal Akbulut, said that since Tuesday, Turkish aid and developmental agencies have been distributing food to vulnerable people for Eid al-Adha.

He said Turkey will continue supporting the government and people of South Sudan in their efforts to achieve peace and prosperity.

Akbulut said 2021 is the tenth anniversary of South Sudan and the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Sudan and Turkey.

He said Turkish aid and development agencies have been implementing projects in South Sudan in different fields including, education, health, livestock, and fisheries, among others.

Gaetano Thomas, a local community leader who received meat, appreciated the support of the Turkish Red Crescent.

He urged the Turkish government to provide training that will create jobs./aa

A state of emergency went into effect Wednesday in British Columbia (B.C.) as about 300 wildfires raged in the Canadian province.

Environment Canada also issued air quality warnings as smoke and particulates from the fires - there are wildfires in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario as well - blanked most of the country, including major cities like Edmonton, Toronto and the nation's capital, Ottawa. Smoke and particulates from the fires can pose a health threat.

About 5,700 people have been evacuated in areas of British Columbia and 69 evacuation alerts have been issued to another 33,000, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported Tuesday.

Canadian Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the disaster delivers an urgent message for those who deny climate change.

"I think people are starting to understand that it's even more proximate to them, that the impacts of climate change are with us already," he told the Canadian Press news service. "We need to take action to make sure we're not making the problem worse but, of course, we're also going to need to learn to adapt to the changes that are with us already."

The state of emergency will mean the evacuation process can go more quickly and it gives the B.C. government authorization to procure accommodation for displaced people, said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnsworth.

"We have reached a critical point," he said.

More than 741,000 acres have been burned by 1,145 wildfires in 2021 -- more than triple the number B.C. suffers in a decade average for this time of year, according to B.C. Wildfire Service director of operations Cliff Chapman, as reported by the CBC.

Wilkinson said climate change is the most important challenge facing not only Canada but the world.

"I think it is the defining issue of our generation and certainly of our children," he said, "and I think that Canada has an opportunity to play an important role./aa

A two-day meeting of G20 member state environment ministers in Naples, Italy, starting Thursday is set to focus on climate change and sustainable water use.

According to a G20 statement, key topics of the discussion will include: “combating climate change, accelerating the ecological transition, making financial flows consistent with the (2015) Paris Agreement objectives, opportunities for sustainable and inclusive recovery enabled by innovative technological solutions of the energy sector, and building smart, resilient and sustainable cities.”

Murat Kurum, Turkey’s environment, and urbanization minister, will also attend the meeting and speak to his global counterparts about Turkey’s work on the environment, climate, and energy.

Kurum also is expected to hold talks with his counterparts.

The G20 leaders' summit is set for Oct. 30-31 in Rome.

The G20 – made up of the 19 countries with the world’s largest economies, plus the European Union – includes Turkey, Germany, the US, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, France, South Africa, South Korea, India, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the EU, as well as the IMF and World Bank.

"The G20 is the international forum that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80% of world GDP, 75% of global trade, and 60% of the population of the planet," according to the forum's website./aa

NAIROBI, Kenya(AA)

Turkey’s state-run aid agency has been on the front lines in distributing aid to the millions who need it on the African continent.

Kenya has benefitted from numerous Turkish aid programs since the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) started its operations in the East African country in 2012.

The aid has helped boost Kenya’s security sector, with Kenyan authorities getting training in both Turkey and Kenya. Activities also involved poverty alleviation programs, social development and economic programs that have in turn led to stability and peace, as well as many other forms of aid.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Eyup Yavuz Umutlu, TIKA’s coordinator in the capital Nairobi, discussed TIKA’s long-term vision in Kenya.

The agency’s “vision about Kenya,” he said, starts with TIKA being “a government organization. We are implementing projects in many sectors. Our priorities change according to region and country.”

“Here in Kenya, we especially try to focus on livelihood projects, some income-generating projects. Of course, we’re also dealing with other sectors – for example, health, education … But especially, livelihood and income-generating projects are our priorities.

“This is our difference by the way in the region. We’re not just focusing on one sector, because we have the capacity to do this. We’re using other Turkish organizations’ capacity, for example, in police projects. Of course, we’re working with the police. In the Interior Ministry, we’re using the ministry’s capacity. In some other projects, we are sometimes using the Ministry of Health and [Ministry of] Agriculture’s capacity,” he added.

TIKA last year donated equipment to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) to boost food security in western Kenya.

The donations are part of TIKA’s Sustainable Organic Livelihoods Enhancement Program (SOLEP), which aims to end hunger by achieving food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable goals in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on agriculture and zero hunger.

Yavuz said the second phase of the project this year has seen KALRO distribute 15,000 newborn chicks to over 300 women in western Kenya free of charge to boost poultry farming.

“This really helps these families in generating income because especially in that region, chicks mean money. If they need money, they can easily sell their chicks or eggs. We know that poultry farming is a very important income-generating area for that region.”

TIKA also helped the Lessos Farmers’ Cooperative Society in Nandi County by providing modern, critical Turkish machinery for improved silage production to provide quality feed for livestock, in turn establishing a more sustainable feeding cycle.

The farm equipment, which is now aiding the community, is worth $86,000.

Women’s empowerment

TIKA is currently supporting numerous women-based projects in Kenya. Currently, in northern Kenya’s Marsabit County, women are benefitting from four Turkish-funded manufacturing production units developed by TIKA.

“We’re supporting women’s groups, and in August, we plan to complete these projects. In these four production units, women’s groups, in some groups, will produce some beading items. In some, they will produce leather items,” he said.

“We’re also establishing a tailoring production center, and in this sector, the women will produce sanitary pads and face masks. All these projects are arranged according to the needs of the region and the needs of the people and will help them to get income.”

TIKA is also planning to start income-generating projects for other women’s groups along the Kenyan coast in Mombasa and Lamu.

“In Kenya, women are really talented, and they want to produce something ... If you can support them, they can do so much. We know this and we saw this and because of that, we try to focus on women’s groups.”

Education

On June 5, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the agricultural 4K Club program in schools across the country to bring up young farmers ready to use modern farming techniques and technologies.

Turkey is among the first countries that moved to support Kenya to achieve this new goal by providing some Kenyan schools with greenhouses that will be perfect for farming in the city.

“We will support schools which have 4K clubs … farming clubs for students. We’re working on a greenhouse project for schools, boarding schools. With the help of this greenhouse project, we hope the schools can provide vegetables for their consumption and also they can produce more than they need and they can sell their vegetables and get income,” Yavuz said.

Turkey is also planning to establish a library in Nairobi. This came just after TIKA renovated Dagoretti High School’s library on June 14 in honor of Murat Ellik who was a special operations police officer martyred in the July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

Turkey has also renovated numerous schools across Kenya to support education. In western Kenya, TIKA distributed bicycles to 200 girls who had been walking kilometers to get to school, with the aim of facilitating their education.

Beekeeping and healthcare aid

TIKA is currently supporting the National Beekeeping Institute of Kenya’s headquarters in Nairobi with equipment to measure the quality of honey to meet the quality levels of international markets.

Turkey has also been on the front lines to set Kenyan farmers on the path to beekeeping profits with donations of beehives to farmers across the country.

The beehives can produce up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of honey per harvest, which can be sold for around 800 Kenyan shillings (around $8) a kg. Most farmers harvest the hives four times a year, providing up to 64,000 shillings ($592) per hive annually.

Turkey has a rich history of bee cultivation and it is one of the biggest honey and beeswax producers in the world. Beekeeping is carried out in almost every region of the country, and in 2014, there were 57,000 registered beekeepers and 6.6 million registered hives, according to the Beekeepers’ Association of Turkey.

Turkey has had health camps in Kenya in various regions working with Kenyan and Turkish organizations for complex operations where thousands of Kenyans have benefitted from free medical care.

“In the near future, we are planning to establish orthopedics camps,” said Yavuz.

“This area is very different from eye surgery because orthopedic surgery is very expensive and people who are injured do not have that budget and can’t get that operation. Their lives totally change. They can’t earn money. They’re just staying in their homes. We want to make surgeries [available] for hundreds of people to change their lives with critical operations.

“Since we’re a government organization, we’re using Turkish citizens’ money. But we are here to support our Kenyan friends, so our friendship, our relationship is much more valuable than our money.”

TIKA is also focusing on capacity-building projects. For instance, 40 Kenyan police officers August will participate in virtual training for organized crime. TIKA said that in normal circumstances, the officers would be taken to Turkey for training. But due to COVID-19, the training by Turkish experts will be done virtually.

TIKA has also supported Kenyans in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects.

Other East African countries have also been receiving similar aid from Turkey from their local TIKA offices, which has changed the lives of millions of people.

Search and rescue efforts continued Wednesday in Germany’s worst-hit flood regions but hopes of finding survivors are fading.

The deputy director of Germany’s technical relief agency, THW, told the media that rescue crews are still looking for the missing people in affected towns and villages while clearing debris from streets and damaged buildings.

“Unfortunately, at this point, it is very likely that you will not be able to save more lives, but only recover bodies,” Sabine Lackner told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

Germany's worst flooding in decades has claimed 171 lives, injured more than 760 people, and caused widespread devastation in the western states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Officials confirmed that at least 155 people were still unaccounted for in the worst-hit Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Authorities were sharply criticized this week after reports revealed that they failed to react swiftly and did not properly warn residents although the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) alerted them about possible extreme floods.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet approved on Wednesday allocating €200 million ($235 million) for an emergency aid package for the flood-hit regions.

Deputy government spokesperson Martina Fietz said the initial relief package will be €400 million ($470 million), half of which will come from the federal government and the other half from federal states./aa