Turkish charity distributes Ramadan aid in N. Macedonia

Turkey Diyanet Foundation (TDV), a charity linked to the country's religious authority, on Saturday distributed shopping vouchers to needy families in Skopje, as part of its efforts during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Shopping vouchers for purchasing of food supplies, were distributed in a program organized in cooperation with Turkish embassy's Religious Services Consultancy in the North Macedonian capital Skopje.

Turkey's Religious Services Consultant Murat Alkan told Anadolu Agency that the head of Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) is making efforts to distribute Ramadan aid to needy people in 98 countries around the world.

He said the vouchers of food packages were distributed among 250 families and that the charity will also serve 250 people with fast-breaking meals, or iftar, on Saturday.

Fasting, held from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a time of self-examination and great religious devotion.