Yılmaz, president of the Turkish Red Crescent, met with Palestinian patients and their companions in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and received information about their treatment. Yılmaz also met with healthcare workers and made visits with Türkiye's Ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen.
As part of his program, Yılmaz also met with Egyptian Red Crescent officials to discuss cooperation on humanitarian aid activities for Gaza.
New support program for Palestinian patients
Yılmaz, president of the Turkish Red Crescent, announced that a new three-month support program would be launched at the Palestine Red Crescent Hospital in Cairo for Palestinian patients who cannot afford their treatment costs. The program's estimated budget was announced as 3.2 million lira.
Yılmaz said that thousands of Palestinians had arrived in Egypt from Gaza for treatment since October 7, 2023. He said that the Palestine Red Crescent Hospital provides care to more than 20,000 Palestinian patients each year, but that many patients cannot access the treatment they need because of financial difficulties.
Yılmaz said the program aims to ensure that patients receive the treatment they need, recover their health and return to their families. He said the Turkish Red Crescent would continue its work in the field together with the Palestine Red Crescent for as long as the need continues.
10.5 million lira in aid for two hospitals in Gaza
In August, as part of the Gaza Health Support Project, the Turkish Red Crescent sent supplies worth approximately 10.5 million lira, consisting of 34 different categories, to the Al-Amal and Al-Mawasi hospitals operated by the Palestine Red Crescent.
The Turkish Red Crescent assumed responsibility for the medicines, medical consumables, personnel costs and operating expenses of the two hospitals for six months starting October 1, 2025. The support provided to the hospitals secured access to healthcare for more than 150,000 people at medical facilities operating above capacity.
Healthcare aid delivered to Gaza exceeds 85 million lira
The total value of healthcare aid delivered to Gaza by the Turkish Red Crescent since October 7, 2023, has exceeded 85 million lira. Under this effort, the organization delivered six ambulances, 68,095 medicines, 118,028 medical supplies, and 13,225 blood-related consumables and devices to the region.
The shipments also included a fully equipped field hospital, operating room and intensive care units, as well as an apheresis machine and blood-bag systems used in blood services. The Turkish Red Crescent has so far provided approximately 50 million lira in cash support to enable the Palestine Red Crescent to maintain its essential functions, particularly hospital and ambulance services.
The state of healthcare services in Gaza
At least 445 attacks have targeted healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip, damaging 155 facilities. Only 47 percent of hospitals in the region have been able to operate partially.
As of August 2026, approximately 15,600 patients in the Gaza Strip were in need of treatment outside Gaza. Women and children accounted for 72 percent of those killed in the attacks in Gaza.
