UK Sends Life-Saving Support To Earthquake-Hit Turkey And Syria

United Kingdom Government on Wednesday 8 February announced further support to Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquakes. The UK will provide vital items such as tents and blankets to help survivors cope with the freezing conditions, as part of its immediate response to the crisis.

The equipment being urgently deployed from the UK’s stockpile will meet the needs of up to 15,000 people. The UK is also providing a world-class team of UK medics with surgical capabilities and equipment to provide vital emergency treatment. The announcement comes in the critical 72 hours following the first earthquake.

Emergency and rescue team.

The support will be used to urgently provide life saving interventions to those who need it most in the region as temperatures plummet. The UK is coordinating closely with the Turkish government and UN in Syria to ensure our support meets the needs on the ground and that we can stay responsive to emerging needs in the coming days.

The UK is prioritising what the Turkish Government and UN are asking for. The additional support will save lives by bringing world-class UK expertise and equipment to the region. This £8 million of additional support comes after a team of 77 UK search and rescue specialists, equipment and four search dogs arrived in Gaziantep yesterday to begin their life saving operations.

Team of medical professionals 

Their specialist skills and state-of-the-art heavy duty equipment will allow the UK team to cut their way into buildings and locate survivors in the rubble during this vital time. The government remains in contact with British humanitarian workers in the affected areas, and we stand ready to assist any British nationals affected.