Red Cross sends 34 tons of humanitarian aid from Catalonia to Turkey

A 34-ton Red Cross shipment of humanitarian aid left the central Catalonia town of Sant Martí de Tous for Turkey this Tuesday to help with the ongoing relief efforts following last week's deadly earthquakes that killed tens of thousands and displaced many others.

It includes €218,000 worth of essential items including 6,000 awnings to provide shelter from the rain and the cold, 1,500 20-liter water barrels, 1,900 household kitchen sets, and 400 blankets.

This is part of a larger shipment the Spanish Red Cross will send with items from other parts of Spain: 2,950 20-liter water barrels, 3,800 wool blankets, 2,200 blankets made from synthetic materials, 15,700 plastic awnings, and 4,400 kitchen kits.

These specialized materials, which the Red Cross was able to purchase thanks to donations from individuals, companies, and organizations, are frequently used in emergency situations across the globe.

"This will be sent to Turkey so that our colleagues at the Turkish Red Crescent can proceed according to the affected population's needs," Alexandra Gabarró, who is in charge of International Cooperation for the Red Cross in Catalonia, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

Gabarró also explained that now that the Sant Martí de Tous warehouse where these items were being stored has been emptied, the Red Cross will raise funds to buy more to have ready in the event of a future emergency. 

This comes just under a week after Catalan president Pere Aragonès announced plans to send €2m in humanitarian aid to both Turkey and Syria.

A portion of these funds will be given to international organizations and charities working in the area, while some of it will be used to send Catalan government personnel to the region to help with relief efforts.