Turkish aid agency TIKA sends protective gear to Lesotho

A Turkish state-run agency has provided protective gear to the Kingdom of Lesotho to help the Southern African country curb the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) distributed sanitizers, gloves and masks to the Lesotho Disaster Management Team, according to a statement released on Sunday.

The donated gear will be distributed at three hospitals and 20 clinics in the poorest and remote regions of the tiny Kingdom of Lesotho, a country completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa.

The country has not yet confirmed any case of the coronavirus.

"The equipment will be distributed to the needy families, healthcare providers, hospitals and organizations to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in Lesotho," Mehmet Akif Şekerci, program coordinator for TIKA said in the statement.

The Turkish government has been hands-on helping countries and organizations abroad with protective gear since the outbreak of COVID-19.

A representative of the government of Lesotho expressed gratitude to the government and people of Turkey for their support, generosity and kindness during this challenging time.

For her part, Elif Ülgen Çomoğlu, Turkish ambassador to South Africa, also accredited to Lesotho, said: "TIKA is a brand of Turkey which is the helping hand and symbol of the open heart of Turkish people."

She praised TIKA's global reach that goes as far as the remotest corners of the world in providing help during testing times.