Students from three university communities have handed all funds raised at a charity bazaar to Umut Kervanı for humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, reaffirming their solidarity with the besieged population.

Students at Batman University in southeastern Türkiye have donated all proceeds from a charity bazaar to Umut Kervanı (Hope Caravan) for delivery to Palestinians in Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis continues to cause widespread suffering.

The bazaar was organised by the Ideal Youth Community, the Thought and Virtue Community, and the Islamic Research Community to mark the anniversary of the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood operation and raise funds for Palestinians in need.

Academics, administrative staff and students participated in the event, which was held on the university campus. Following the bazaar, the student organisers visited the Umut Kervanı Batman Association and handed over the collected funds to its officials for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

‘We donated all proceeds to Gaza’

Yusuf Güneş, president of Batman University’s Ideal Youth Community, said the initiative was organised to support Palestinians facing severe hardship.

“On the occasion of the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood, we organised a charity bazaar at our university with the aim of donating all the proceeds to Gaza,” Güneş said.

He confirmed that the money raised had been handed over to Umut Kervanı so that it could reach Palestinians in need.

Güneş thanked the university’s academics, administrative staff and students for supporting the initiative and prayed that Allah would accept their good deeds.

“Since the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood, we, together with our sister communities, have done everything in our power for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. We will continue to do so,” he said.

Umut Kervanı calls for continued solidarity with Gaza

Rıdvan Üzümcü, a volunteer with the Umut Kervanı Batman Association, praised the students’ initiative, describing their efforts to support Palestinians as commendable.

He thanked the students for their contribution and stressed that humanitarian assistance to Gaza had continued since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

“Our aid to Gaza has continued without interruption since the day the Al-Aqsa Flood began, and it will continue from now on as well,” Üzümcü said.

Emphasising that Palestinians continue to endure severe suffering, he called on philanthropists to maintain their support and not turn away from the humanitarian crisis.

“Please do not forget Gaza,” he urged.

The charity bazaar reflects ongoing efforts by students and civil society organisations in Türkiye to support Palestinians through humanitarian assistance, solidarity campaigns and charitable initiatives. The organisers said they would continue their efforts to stand alongside their Palestinian brothers and sisters. (ILKHA)