Selling tents to earthquake victims: the Red Crescent is under fire

The Red Crescent is said to have sold 2,050 tents for the equivalent of approximately 2.3 million euros. Other aid organizations donated tents for earthquake victims.

The Turkish Red Crescent was criticized for not donating tents for earthquake victims to another aid organization, but selling them instead. According to what was reported by the “Cumhuriyet” newspaper, on Sunday, the Red Crescent sold 2,050 tents to the “Ahbab” relief organization, for the equivalent of approximately 2.3 million euros. This is a “scandal,” wrote journalist Murat Agirel.

“Turkey’s biggest charity, the Red Crescent, sold tents instead of giving them away for free to those in need when people begged for them three days after the earthquake,” Agerel said. Turkish Red Crescent leader Kerem Kenik confirmed on Twitter that Kizilay Kadir, a subsidiary of his organization responsible for making tents, had provided Ahbap with tents “at cost”.

Several opposition politicians have called for Knick’s resignation. “Shame on you,” wrote the leader of the nationalist “Ai” party, Meral Aksener, on Twitter.

The Turkish government was severely criticized

It accused the Turkish government of not distributing enough tents and humanitarian aid in several places after the earthquake. Not enough rescue teams were deployed either.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described those who criticized the Red Crescent as “dishonest and shameful”. Then the leader of the main opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, tweeted that Erdogan was “insulting the earthquake victims”.

According to official figures, more than 46,000 people died in the severe earthquake that occurred in the early morning hours of February 6 in Syria and Turkey.

(APA / AFP)