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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 10 april 2024

Turkey and Israel announce trade barriers on each other as

relations deteriorate over Gaza

By SUZAN FRASER actions as war crimes verg-
Associated Press ing on “genocide” and as-
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Tur- serting that the Hamas mili-
key and Israel announced tant group, considered a
trade barriers on each oth- terrorist organization by Is-
er Tuesday as relations de- rael, the United States and
teriorated further amid the European Union, is fighting
war in Gaza. for the liberation of its lands
Turkey, a staunch critic of Is- and people.
rael’s military actions in the In a post on X, Israeli For-
territory, announced that eign Minister Israel Katz said
it was restricting exports of Erdogan was “once again
54 types of products to Is- sacrificing the economic
rael with immediate effect. interests of the people of
They include aluminum, Turkey for his support of the
steel, construction prod- Hamas murderers in Gaza.”
ucts, jet fuel and chemical In the same post, he said he
fertilizers. In response, Israel had contacted organiza-
said it was preparing a ban tions in the U.S. and asked
on products from Turkey. them to stop investing in
The announcements came Turkey and refrain from im-
a day after Turkish Foreign porting Turkish goods.
Minister Hakan Fidan said A woman waves flags in support of Palestinians in Gaza during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Hamish Kinnear, senior Mid-
Israel had barred Turkish April 5, 2024. dle East and North Africa
military cargo planes from Associated Press analyst at Britain-based
joining an operation to our attempt to deliver aid halt trade with Israel. Critics Islamic movement, has risk intelligence company
airdrop humanitarian aid by air to starving people of accuse the government of been an outspoken critic Verisk Maplecroft, said do-
to Gaza and vowed to re- Gaza,” Fidan said. engaging in double stan- of Israel’s treatment of the mestic considerations were
spond with a series of mea- Turkish President Recep dards by leveling strong Palestinians since taking of- behind Turkey’s decision to
sures against Israel until it Tayyip Erdogan’s govern- accusations against Israel fice in 2003. slap trade restrictions on
declares a cease-fire and ment, which suffered major while continuing lucrative The Turkish leader stepped Israel, saying Erdogan’s rul-
allows aid to flow in without setbacks in local elections commercial relations. up his criticism of Israel fol- ing party was trying to “rally
interruptions. “There is no last month, is faced with in- Erdogan, whose ruling lowing its military offensive its base in the wake of de-
excuse for Israel to block tense pressure at home to party has roots in Turkey’s in Gaza, describing Israel’s feat in local elections.”q

Medical care and supplies are scarce as gang violence chokes

Haiti’s capital

Senegal-based humanitar- ers. The limited medication and washed dishes in a
ian organization. available has doubled and bucket.
“The situation is really chal- even tripled in price. Gunfire still echoes daily
lenging and affects our That means Haitians like throughout Port-au-Prince,
movement on a daily ba- 65-year-old Denise Duval though the gang violence
sis,” said Antoine Maillard, are unable to buy needed has somewhat subsided in
the organization’s medical medication or see a doc- certain areas since gun-
coordinator based in Port- tor. men began attacking key
au-Prince. “My health right now is not government infrastructure
The gang violence has good,” she said, adding on Feb. 29.
driven about 17,000 peo- that she has high blood Key roads remain impassi-
ple in the capital from pressure and often feels ble, preventing Haitians like
their homes. Many are dizzy. “From hearing gunfire 52-year-old Nadine Prosper
crammed into abandoned all the time, my heart beats from reaching one of the
schools and other buildings a lot.” few operating hospitals.
People take cover from gunfire during clashes between police where they often share a Duval is taking care of Prosper lost her lower left
and gangs in the Champs de Mars area next to the National single toilet. three grandchildren whose leg in Haiti’s 2010 devastat-
Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, April 8, 2024. Maillard said aid workers mother migrated to the ing earthquake, and she’s
Associated Press were able to reach one of neighboring Dominican unable to get the medica-
By DÁNICA COTO and Weeks of gang violence the camps for displaced Republic in search of work. tion she needs.
EVENS SANON have forced some 18 hos- people on Tuesday, “but She sends money when she “I’m still suffering,” she said
Associated Press pitals to stop working and there were too many gun- can, but Duval said it’s not as she walked back to her
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) caused a shortage of shots to provide support.” enough to buy medication house with a cane in one
— Fresh gunfire erupted medical supplies as Haiti’s He said the health crisis is and support the children at hand and groceries in the
Tuesday in downtown Port- biggest seaport and main worsening. It is difficult to the same time. other. “When the pain
au-Prince, forcing aid work- international airport remain find basic medications in- “We’re living day-by-day comes, if I don’t have pain-
ers to halt urgently needed closed, warned aid workers cluding antibiotics and an- and hoping that something killers, that’s the hardest
care for thousands of Hai- with The Alliance for Inter- tidiarrheals since gang vio- will change,” she said as part.”q
tians. national Medical Action, a lence has shuttered suppli- she sat outside her home