One of the first UK aid flights to Turkey has left Heathrow airport today, Tuesday, containing more than £350,000 worth of vital supplies for those in need following last week’s earthquake in the region. A specially chartered Virgin Atlantic cargo-only flight departed at 11:40am transporting 58 pallets of clothing and other essential supplies, including 31,000 coats and blankets and almost a tonne (990kg) of infant milk powder. The destination of the flight is Adana, a city approximately 115 miles from the epicentre of the earthquake, in Gaziantep province. The shipment will be handled on the ground by AFAD, the Turkish Government’s Aid Agency.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey near the Syrian border in the early hours of February 6, with tens of millions of people impacted. The number of people confirmed to have died has risen to more than 37,000 and the World Health Organisation has warned that ensuring access to medical care and health services in the aftermath is critical.
Magen David Adom UK has joined forces with crisis response charity Goods for Good, medicines and essentials supplier Durbin and Virgin Atlantic, who have donated the flight, to deliver the humanitarian response in less than seven days. The consortium also worked with disaster response and logistics non-profit Airlink, which coordinates and transports aid for a global network of 150 NGOs and charities, and their partner SEKO logistics, who provided trucking services.
