Turkey wants to bring wounded from Syria's Ghouta for treatment

Civil defence crews and civilians conduct search and rescue after an airstrike in the besieged town of Arbin, in the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of Damascus, on 2 December, 2017 [Qusay Noor/Anadolu Agency]

Turkey is working with Russia to evacuate around 500 people from the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday according to Reuters.

“There are around 500 people, including 170 children and women who need urgent humanitarian aid,” Erdogan said ahead of his departure on an official visit to Sudan.

He said he had discussed the issue with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Ankara aimed to bring people in need of assistance to Turkey to provide treatment and care.

The Russian and Turkish chiefs of staff would discuss the steps to be taken in operations that would also involve the Turkish Red Cresent and Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Organisation (AFAD), Erdogan said.

In November, the UN humanitarian adviser for Syria called the situtation in eastern Ghouta a humanitarian emergency.

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