A merchant vessel carrying the first 600 of over 1,000 containers of NATO temporary housing for Türkiye left the port of Taranto, Italy, on Sunday evening, according to a press release issued by NATO.

The shipment is the result of coordination between NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to expedite the delivery of temporary housing for at least 4,000 people affected by the recent devastating earthquakes. It is expected to arrive in Iskenderun next week, with the establishment of the camp expected to start once the equipment is off-loaded and delivered to the site. 

A NATO joint civilian-military operational liaison and reconnaissance team have been preparing the site of the camp, and coordinating logistics and local support. The port of Taranto opened operations at the weekend to accommodate both the off-loading and the loading of the ship outside of normal port hours. Additionally, NATO is coordinating the strategic airlift of tents from Pakistan to Türkiye.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Türkiye on 16 February to meet President Erdogan and other senior officials and to convey solidarity with the Turkish people. He visited affected areas and met members of the NATO liaison and reconnaissance team on the ground.