RCEM international team on the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and NW Syria 

Andrew Fryer, RCEM Head of International, March 23, 2023

A piece from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine with regards to the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and NW Syria.

At RCEM we send our heartfelt support to our those in northwest Syria and Turkey who are facing the most challenging of circumstances. We are deeply saddened by the recent news of the earthquakes that have struck southern Turkey and northwest Syria. Our sympathies and condolences go out to our colleagues and contacts and the people of these regions who have suffered great losses.

We mourn the loss of life in both countries and stand in solidarity with them as they continue to search for survivors and rebuild after this tragic event. There is an urgent need for an international response to the earthquake, particularly in the opposition held areas in northwest Syria where there is no state capacity to resource and lead the response.

Between 16 and 20 February 2023, the RCEM international team visited Gaziantep, Turkey, to scope the feasibility of an RCEM intervention and to meet with key NGO agencies and health institutions looking to develop medical education in northwest Syria. These included the Syrian Board of Medical Specialities (SBOMS) as well as a number of other leading aid organisations working to develop the health care systems and improve patient care in northwest Syria. Subsequently, RCEM have started delivering a programme funded by the European Union and the Tropical Health Education Trust to support the development of Emergency Medicine in northwest Syria.

Following the recent events there are now significant concerns mounting over a public health breakdown in northwest Syria. RCEM is now looking to see how we can most effectively support healthcare workers in northwest Syria who were already working in dangerous conditions with insufficient resources in a healthcare system that had been decimated by protracted conflict. As such, the RCEM northwest Syria team has been in contact with clinical leads on the front line including the areas most affected have been the northern parts of Aleppo and Idlib governorates.

How can RCEM members help?

Donate:

Please see the link below to a fundraising campaign supported by RCEM and the Cambridge Global Health Partnership (CGHP) to support health care workers based in northwest Syria. The funds requested are based on daily communications with the clinical leads dealing with the most challenging of all circumstances.

Together for Northwest Syria Medical Aid – JustGiving

Video:

Virtual volunteer support:

RCEM is working with the Syrian Board of Medical Specialities and the Tropical Health Education Trust to identify areas where RCEM members and our networks in other specialities can provide support. We will be putting a call once agreed but we envisage this may through peer-to-peer network remote support, resource development and specialist advice during this critical time. A scoping assessment is underway and once the key areas requiring support are agreed RCEM will be looking to recruit volunteers with the relevant specialist knowledge to support the needs on the ground.

If you feel you may have the relevant skills and experience and are interested in supporting this response please contact me directly: Head of International, RCEM – Andrew Fryer – andrew.fryer@rcem.ac.uk.