Team Broken Earth N.L. doctors raise money for Nepal earthquake effort

Some Newfoundland and Labrador doctors are helping to organize an event to raise money for those in need in Nepal, following a massive earthquake in the region on Saturday.

At least eight people with connections to Newfoundland and Labrador are in Nepal, dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake which has claimed the lives of thousands of people. They're all believed to be safe and in good health.

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Surgeon Andrew Furey, one of the lead doctors behind humanitarian group Team Broken Earth in Newfoundland, is watching the situation closely.

"We've seen natural disasters in developed countries and they're devastating," he said.

"The main challenges in Nepal are similar to Haiti in fact, that this is a developing country — a low to middle income country."

Similar challenges to 2010 quake in Haiti

Team Broken Earth has done extensive aid work in Haiti since an earthquake devastated that country in 2010.

Furey says first responders in Nepal are facing challenges that are similar to those that he saw with his work in Haiti.

"The challenges are really the fact that they had so little infrastructure, such a low quality health care system, to begin with. Now it's faced with this massive destruction," he said.

Team Broken Earth is hosting a fundraising event for Nepal at the Sundance on George Street in downtown St. John's on Friday night.

Furey said the event will help fulfil the biggest need in Nepal right now — cash.

"Team Broken Earth is going to try and organize some efforts," he said. "What they really need is money."

Confident that raised money will go to those in need

Dr. Dick Barter, who is also helping out with the fundraising efforts, agrees that sending money to Nepal is the best way to help with the situation at this point.

"Anyone coming to Nepal for the first time who thinks they can just jump on a plane and help out, in fact are only going to add to their confusion," he said.

"There are groups who are organized to hit the ground running. But other groups are only going to add to the confusion."

Barter said people should feel confident that any money they donate will go directly to help those in need, and won't be distributed through a third party.

"Because [MUN's] Faculty of Medicine already has some ties in Nepal, we're lucky enough to know exactly how we're going to be able to take the money that we raise here, funnel it through the appropriate channels and make sure it actually goes to the facilities that we've been associated with."

Friday's fundraiser takes place at the Sundance complexes on George Street, in downtown St. John's. The all-ages event runs from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., has a capacity of 300 people and will include live bands and a DJ. Cover charge is donations at the door.