Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian humanitarian relief organization led by evangelist Franklin Graham, has opened a 52-bed emergency field hospital in Antakya, Turkey, after two deadly earthquakes struck the nation last week.
“It is cold there, and survivors are in shock – they need our help,” Graham said in a statement.
As Christian Headlines previously reported, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, followed by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake some 10 hours later.
According to The Roys Report, Samaritan’s Purse officially opened the field hospital on Monday after it was airlifted from Atlanta to Antakya, historically known as Antioch, last Thursday. In the Bible, Antioch is the place where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
“Our Emergency Field Hospital is now open, and our medical team has already treated earthquake injuries like broken bones, wounds, and infections,” Graham said in a statement. “People are suffering, and we are there to meet their physical needs in Jesus’ Name. Please pray for everyone affected and for our Disaster Assistance Response Team as they meet these emergency needs.”
The field hospital includes two emergency operating rooms and a pharmacy. Additionally, Samaritan’s Purse has nearly 100 Disaster Assistance Response Team members on the ground providing relief.
“Our teams will continue to work alongside local church partners to bring physical relief and share God’s love with those who are hurting,” the organization said.
As of Tuesday, the death toll has exceeded 30,000 people, with the majority of deaths in Turkey. Meanwhile, tens of thousands more have been injured or displaced.
Last Thursday, the United Nations sent its first convoy into Syria, with rescue crews searching through collapsed buildings and ruins for survivors.
Other international Christian relief organizations, including World Vision, Send Relief, and Aid to the Church in Need, have responded to the crisis.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Mehmet Kacmaz/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
