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Stamford, Conn. – Feb. 7, 2023 – Americares is deploying an emergency response team to respond to the devastating earthquakes that killed thousands of people across Turkey and Syria. The team, which will be headed to southern Turkey, is expected to deploy within 24 hours.
“With health centers damaged or destroyed, there is an urgent need to treat survivors with injuries and serious health conditions,” said Americares Director of International Emergency Response Cora Nally who is leading the response team. “Our relief workers have extensive experience coordinating large-scale shipments of medicine and relief supplies, mobilizing emergency aid in crisis situations and restoring health services for disaster survivors, and we’ll be on the ground soon to help address the most pressing health needs of families affected by the crisis.”
At the same time, the health-focused relief and development organization is readying shipments of urgently needed medicines and relief supplies, including IV fluids, hygiene kits, wound care products and lifesaving chronic disease medications, to supply health workers treating survivors. Americares is also providing emergency funding to partner organizations to help restore services. Funds will be used to purchase fuel for a generator at a hospital in Gaziantep province, allowing the facility to continue to provide health services, including surgeries for people injured in the earthquake.
Immediately following Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake, Americares relief workers contacted four longtime partner organizations working in Turkey and Syria to offer assistance and began preparing shipments of the most needed items. Americares has a long history of responding to earthquakes all over the world, including the 2022 earthquake in Afghanistan, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2010 and 2021 earthquakes in Haiti and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
Americares has been providing assistance to Syria for more than a decade, delivering medicine, medical supplies and relief items to partner organizations in northwest Syria assisting families affected by the long running civil war. Americares supports more than 50 health centers in the region serving children and adults.
Americares has professional relief workers ready to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice and stocks emergency medicine and supplies in warehouses in the U.S., Europe and India that can be delivered quickly in times of crisis. The organization responds to more than 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings preparedness programs to communities vulnerable to disasters. Since its founding more than 40 years ago, Americares has provided more than $20 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the United States.
Donations to Americares Turkey-Syria Earthquake Relief Fund will support its response to the crisis. To donate, go to americares.org/Turkey-SyriaRelief