A FUND-RAISING bid to raise £5,000 to help those left stricken by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has been launched by Worcester Muslim Welfare Association.
Caring worshippers at the Tallow Hill mosque have taken the wraps off a bid to help as the death toll from last week’s disaster topped 30,000.
It comes as two trained rescuers from Worcester were sent to the country to help the rescue effort.
Phil Ball and James Spry are members of the UK search and rescue team SARAID, who have deployed to Turkey
Search and Rescue Technician Phil is currently in the country while James is supporting the logisitics of the effort in the UK and is on standby to deploy if needed. Phil has been supported in his involvement by his employers at Aztec Adventure.
Thousands of buildings, including hospitals and schools, rapidly collapsed and infrastructure has also been badly damaged.
Local responders have been desperately searching through the rubble for survivors while others have been left without shelter in freezing conditions.
The number of people confirmed to have died in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 33,000.
UN classified, highly trained volunteers of the UK charity Search And Rescue Assistance In Disasters (SARAID) have mobilised extra team and resources to Turkey at the request of the Turkish Disaster And Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
Their objective is to provide immediate humanitarian support in response to the devastating earthquake and consecutive aftershocks that struck the western provinces of Turkey and the North of Syria last Monday (February 6).
The full team includes USAR specialists, coordinators, structural engineers, and paramedics.
The team’s primary tasking will be Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and/or Damage Assessment.
They are equipped with specialist seismic listening devices, search cameras, rope rescue kits and power tools for breaching & breaking concrete.
Beyond these on-site works, SARAID will be heavily utilising their team of structural engineers in the UK to provide Remote Support Cell (RSC) and data post-processing.
The team in Turkey will be relaying information back to the SARAID RSC for assessment and compilation, allowing them to use their time most effectively on the ground and share useful information with the other international teams.
As a part of the USAR community, SARAID will contribute to the emergency response aiming at saving lives.
Visit masjidbox.com/donations/wmwa/turkeysyria-earthquake-appeal-2023 for more on the appeal.
