The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey, near the Syrian border, in the early hours of Monday 6 February, killing over 30,000 people and impacting the lives of millions more.
At 10.30 this morning (Tuesday 14 February), a specially chartered Virgin Atlantic flight left London’s Heathrow Airport carrying 64 pallets of clothing and essential supplies, including 31,000 coats and blankets and almost a tonne of infant milk formula.
The flight will go to Adana, 115 miles from the epicentre of the earthquake in Gaziantep province, where the Turkish government’s aid agency, AFAD, will transport the cargo by road.
The humanitarian mission is being led by Magen David Adom UK and is a combined effort by a number of organisations, including crisis response charity Goods for Good, medicine supplier Durban and Virgin Atlantic providing the flight.
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, says, “The loss of life and scenes of destruction in Turkey and Syria following the earthquake are truly devastating. We are doing all we can to support the relief effort and are pleased to once again partner with MDA UK to transport vital supplies to the region. Virgin Atlantic and its partners are united in the belief that business can be a force for good and we’ll continue to stand ready should further opportunities arise.”
Daniel Burger, CEO of Magen David Adom UK, adds, “The UK public has made a heartfelt and generous response to those affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake but it is vital those donations turn into aid as quickly as possible to help those in need. The response by all the charities involved to turn around such a huge aid operation so quickly has been an incredible effort and we’d like to thank all those involved for making this happen.”