Over 23 million people are thought to have been directly affected – with over 33,000 people reported to have been killed and more than 70,000 injured. These numbers are growing.
Our team – made up of surgeons, paramedics, emergency medical staff, operations and logistics staff – travelled to Turkey within hours of the disaster. On 11 February, we dispatched a field hospital from our Manchester warehouse to get vital medical aid to the thousands of people in need of help.
We have already begun helping patients on the ground – but the injuries and health needs from this disaster are complex. And we need your help.
Please donate to support our medical teams on the ground in Turkey:
“This will be an international coordinated response. We are ready to deliver our crucial emergency medical care where it will be most needed.”
– David Wightwick, CEO
The health challenges on the ground
As well as the cold weather conditions and infrastructural damage, one of the biggest challenges is the sheer number of people needing help. Hundreds of thousands of people are lacking many medical services.
We’ve set up our field hospital near the city of Gaziantep in Turkey: a 67 sq metre tented polyclinic with its own infrastructure, staff, housing, medication, supplies and water sanitation.
Manned by our expert team which includes doctors, nurses, logisticians, paramedics, community workers and WASH engineers, the field hospital will treat up to 100 patients a day.
Hear more from UK-Med member Dr Steve Mannion reporting from the ground:
Speed here, also, is key. Injuries can become life-threatening “without the medical and surgical care to prevent them from developing deadly infections and multiple organ failure”.
As well as providing stabilisation and minor trauma, we’ll be focussing on outpatient care, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and general practice.
Other ways to donate
How to make a donation by phone or post
Fundraisers, events and business donations
If you’d like to hold a fundraiser – whether that’s yourself, through your school, community group, workplace, or with friends – thank you for your support.
Please get in touch at fundraising@uk-med.org or call 0161 521 6859 to let us know what you’re doing and how we can help.
Donations of blankets, clothes, etc.
Unfortunately, that’s not something we can accept at the moment.
Giving money is the best thing you can do. Donations of money enable UK-Med to respond quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
Please read our policy on unsolicited donations to find out more.
In the unlikely event that we raise more money than we can efficiently spend on our humanitarian activities in Turkey and Syria, all surplus donations will be directed to our Emergency Response Fund for responding to international disasters, crises and health emergencies. In emergencies, circumstances can change unexpectedly making it impractical or impossible to carry out the purpose of the appeal. In these circumstances, money raised will be directed to our Emergency Response Fund.
Who we are
Born of the NHS, UK-Med is a frontline medical aid charity that is ready to help across the world. Our vision is a world where everyone has the healthcare they need when crises or disasters hit.
Our register has hundreds of NHS medics who are rigorously trained for emergencies. Along with our global network of health professionals, we’re on-call to get to disaster zones at 24 hours’ notice.
With crises becoming more frequent and severe, we help communities get ready for future emergencies and we make sure that what we learn is shared, so people across the world can get the best care.
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We’re grateful to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for UK Aid funding from the British people to fund this important response.