A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked south central Turkey, killing thousands, injuring tens of thousands, and sending shockwaves felt as far away as Israel.
The Israeli military is sending a rescue delegation and Magen David Adom, as Israel’s representative to the International Red Cross, is making aid preparations amid consultations with the Israeli government, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the regional office of the Red Cross.
MDA will be involved in any assistance sent by Israel and will be an essential part of the Red Cross’s response, which would include sending paramedics and EMTs who’ve trained extensively in extracting injured people from rubble and treating a potentially fatal condition known as crush syndrome.
Turkey’s situation is exacerbated by a severe weather front that’s exposing people to freezing temperatures amid homes that are no longer habitable.
Watch Chaim Rafalowski, disaster management coordinator at Magen David Adom, talk to i24 News about the aid mission that is preparing to deploy from Israel to Turkey, and the challenges of the rescue mission: