COMMUNITY groups in Britain have already raised hundreds of thousands of pounds in aid to support earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

More than 5,000 people have been killed after two massive earthquakes hit the region on Monday, causing widespread devastation. 

The number of fatalities is believed to rise as rescue teams pull more people out of the rubble. 

Responding to the disaster, the British Turkish Association said it has already sent 300 boxes of donated aid, including clothing and medical supplies, to Turkey.

A spokesperson from the association Atilla Ustun said: “What we’ve seen in the last 24 hours [is] that the Turkish citizens in the UK are just absolutely amazing.”

He added that donations raised in the London area alone are “now between £200,000-300,000.”

Development minister Andrew Mitchell said a team of 76 search-and-rescue specialists with equipment and dogs, as well as a medical team were expected to leave for Turkey this morning. 

Solidarity groups are also calling on workers to send aid and donations. 

Day-Mer (daymer.org), a Turkish and Kurdish community centre based in north-east London, is among organisations raising funds and collecting donations for earthquake victims. 

It said in a statement: “We send our condolences to families both in Turkey and Syria who lost members and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

“We call for solidarity and co-operation to ease the suffering and heal wounds. 

“We will send any aid and/or donations that reach our community centre here in London directly to those affected by the earthquake, through campaigns by socialist and democratic institutions and organisations in Turkey.

“It is paramount that the aid reaches those in need without any bureaucratic obstacles.”