Help Earthquake Victims in Turkey

International Emergency Relief
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Emergency Field Hospital Up and Running; Relief Underway

  • The Turkish government reports that roughly 2 million people have fled the earthquake-devastated region. Another 1.5 million remain and are living in temporary accommodations such as tents or cars. Samaritan’s Purse is planning to provide emergency shelter to 5,000 such households, with more than 1,000 assisted so far in cooperation with partners.
  • Our medical team has treated thousands of patients and performed more than 100 surgeries since the field hospital opened on Feb. 13. We saw an increase of patients after a powerful aftershock on Feb. 20.
  • Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham, along with his son, Edward, visited our Emergency Field Hospital on Feb. 18 to encourage patients and our Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members.
  • We officially opened our Emergency Field Hospital in Antakya, Turkey, on Feb. 13 and received dozens of patients over the first few hours. Hundreds of people have already been seen.
  • About 100 Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members are on the ground providing medical care and other relief.
  • Many tens of thousands are injured. The death toll exceeds 50,000 people.

Samaritan's Purse has established a 52-bed Emergency Field Hospital in Turkey, accepting dozens of patients within hours of opening Feb. 13. The mobile hospital includes two emergency operating rooms, four intensive care unit beds, and a pharmacy.

About 100 staff are on the ground in Turkey as part of our DART, which includes doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel. We've also sent critical supplies such as tarps, blankets, and solar lanterns for hurting communities.

More than 50,000 people were killed and tens of thousands are injured in Turkey and Syria as homes and other buildings were toppled by massive earthquakes on Feb. 6.

Thousands of the injured have been brought to our field hospital, including Sare*, who injured her leg while jumping out of a window during the earthquake, and Mustafa* who was pulled from the rubble after eight days of being trapped without food or water.

Samaritan's Purse airlifted the mobile hospital and dozens of medical personnel to Turkey on Feb. 9 to address the urgent physical needs of families suffering in the wake of this natural disaster. Hospital components were then transported to Antakya in southern Turkey, historically known as Antioch. In this area, believers were first called Christians.

We need your prayers. Pray for the people of Turkey and pray that Samaritan’s Purse and our team will be able to love them and care for them. Pray that they’ll know there’s a God in Heaven who loves them as well. —Franklin Graham

*Name changed for security reasons.

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In this, our second airlift since the beginning of the response, we transported more than 18 tons of relief to Turkey Feb. 19, including medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and more than 200 tents for temporary shelter for the displaced. More than 500 patients were treated at the field hospital within the first week. Our medical team and translators took the opportunity to brighten a young patient's day with the gift of a doll. Earthquake-devastated cities are in ruins, with many buildings continuing to crumble even as new seismic activity shakes communities. Our medical team helped earthquake survivor Mustafa who was trapped in the rubble for more than a week. Delayed treatment of injuries led to infection and other complications. Many patients were those injured in the earthquake. Within the first few hours of opening, scores of patients arrived for critical care, including surgeries. Teams worked from dusk to dawn to make the hospital ready for patients. The hospital compound was established in the parking area of a non-operational regional hospital near Antakya, Turkey. The hospital was constructed to include triage, emergency room, wards, two operating rooms, and pharmacy. Our staff worked through the night set up tents, assembling medical equipment, and connecting heating, air, and electricity to get the hospital up and running.

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Please pray for God's protection and for His mercy and peace as families mourn untold losses and await news of missing loved ones. Pray for our teams as we meet critical needs that we would also be able to share the hope found only in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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