Samaritan's Purse airlifts aid, emergency field hospital to Turkey

Volunteers from North Carolina-based Samaritan's Purse have just arrived in the disaster zone of Turkey after devastating earthquakes left more than 20,000 dead.

The volunteers are unloading an emergency field hospital that was airlifted to the disaster zone days after the earthquake hit.

The nonprofit chartered a flight with 92 tons of aid and supplies including the emergency field hospital. It landed in Turkey on Friday, February 10.

"Samaritan's Purse will deploy a team of about 105 to help in the disaster response, and about 30 are on the ground right now," explained Ken Isaacs, Vice President of Programs and Government Relations at Samaritan's Purse.

Volunteers will immediately begin to deliver urgently needed items like tarps, blankets, and solar lights.

Isaacs says the emergency hospital components are being taken to the city of Antioch where they will be set up for immediate use.

"Over 80 thousand people have been injured. These are crush injuries and trauma wounds. We have the capability and staff to perform multiple surgeries a day, maybe 10, 12, 15 a day," Isaacs said.

"The President of Turkey has declared an emergency declaration disaster zone for 90 days and my expectation is we will be there that long."

Samaritan's Purse is giving daily updates on their relief effort on their website and social media sites as they respond to the disaster.

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