IDF Field Hospital in Turkey Treats 180 Injured in Quake, Including Syrian Refugees

An Israeli military field hospital established near the Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş has so far treated around 180 people, including Syrian refugees living in the country, who were injured in the devastating earthquake that has struck the region. The death toll has currently surpassed 28,000.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday, February 11, that at least 10 Syrian civilians who were in Turkey at the time of Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake and its aftershocks were treated at the field hospital, which was set up in an abandoned medical center building.

On Friday, a four-year-old Syrian refugee whose parents were killed in the quake was brought to the field hospital. “This is an area with a lot of Syrian refugees. This boy was rescued three or four days ago, his whole family was killed, and he was brought by his uncle.

We treated him and calmed him down. He came in a moderate to serious condition,” said Lt. Col. Aziz Ibrahim, a nurse and a commander in the IDF Medical Corps.

“I found myself taking out halva from our combat rations and giving it to him, and he loved it,” Ibrahim said, referring to the popular sesame snack. “Of course, I also spoke to him in Arabic.” Ibrahim said the boy’s uncle came up to him and said, “You Israelis treat us better than our people.”

Israel has deployed around 450 rescue specialists, doctors and nurses to Turkish towns and cities to assist in the relief effort. (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for gifting us wealth and resources, so that we can assist people in need. We are committed to helping the civilians that were affected by the recent earthquake, and we are grateful that other countries are also alerted and aid in similar ways.”