February 7, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks during a press conference in Athens, Greece, on January 23.

Despite its tensions with Turkey, Greece is among the countries that have dispatched help to the country, but conflict-torn northwestern Syria makes the same efforts “more complicated,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told CNN on Tuesday.

Greece and Turkey “are neighbors who need to help each other through difficult times. This is not the first time earthquakes have struck our countries,” he said. “This is a time to temporarily set aside our differences and try to address what is a very very urgent situation.”

In Syria, however, there is no official interlocutor and no assurance that aid will make it to the impacted area and people, and that makes relief efforts hard to pull off, Mitsotakis said.

Remember: Northwestern Syria, which has been impacted by the earthquake, has been struggling since the the country’s civil war. Currently, several parts of northwestern Syria, including Idlib, are still controlled by anti-government rebels.

CNN has reached out to the Syrian foreign ministry about concerns over aid reaching affected areas in Syria.

Meanwhile, Bassam Sabbagh, Syria’s representative to the UN, said that access exists for countries. “So anyone who’d like to help Syria they can coordinate with the government and we will be ready to do so.”

Hospitals in earthquake-hit Syria are “absolutely overloaded,” UNICEF representative in Aleppo, Angela Kearney, told CNN’s Christina Macfarlane on Tuesday.

Kearney said hospitals are full of patients with trauma, broken bones and lacerations, and that some people are also going to the hospital to seek help for the mental trauma they endured when the quake struck.

While hospitals are functioning, the task has been overwhelming, Kearney said.

Describing the scene in Aleppo when the earthquake struck on Monday, Kearney said children who have already been traumatized by war were “bewildered. didn’t know what was happening.”

Kearney said that on Monday morning when UNICEF began its work in the area, there were seven schools in Aleppo city that were being used as shelters. By Tuesday morning, that grew to 67 schools, and currently, it is nearly 200.

“In all of those schools that are partially damaged, there are families there who left their apartments, left their houses with just their pajamas,” Kearny said adding that while aid is starting to go into the affected areas, there is still a need for blankets, food, clean water, medical care and nutritional care.

Kearny said water, sanitation and nutrition needs are the most urgent. “The aid is starting to go in but it is overwhelming; the needs are very great,” she said.

Kearney said that the Syrian government is also in Aleppo with authorities giving aid but that the needs are very great.

A man walks through the wreckage of a collapsed building in Maras, Turkey, on February 7.

At least 5,775 buildings collapsed after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit 10 provinces in Turkey on Monday, according to Orhan Tatar, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency’s general director (AFAD). 

Tatar said, there are a total of 60,217 personnel who are helping with rescue operations in 10 provinces in Turkey.

At least four Ukrainian nationals were injured and 19 are missing following the earthquake in Turkey, according to a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

“In total, diplomats have already found 38 [Ukrainian] citizens and are working with Turkish rescue services to find the other 19 Ukrainians who have not been in touch,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said. 

The four wounded Ukrainians suffered “minor injuries. Their lives are not in danger, and they do not need hospitalization,” Nikolenko said, adding that “the victims are provided with temporary housing and food.”

He added that the ministry is preparing to send Ukrainian consuls to the city of Gaziantep.

Canada says it is conferring with allies and trusted aid organizations as it considers how best to aid victims of the earthquake that has left thousands dead in Turkey in Syria, a process it says is complicated by a civil war in Syria and weather and logistics issues in Turkey.

Canada announced an initial $7.5 million in aid Tuesday and said it is considering matching private donations. And the Canadian government says it is still assessing both the initial and long-term needs in both Turkey and Syria.

“We have to conduct the assessments but figure out, you know, all that information has to be kind of worked out. Nothing’s off the table so we’ll look at any options,” said Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s minister for International Development, during a press briefing with reporters in Ottawa Tuesday.

Canada says it is considering sending search and rescue and medical teams in addition to possibly deploying the Canadian Armed Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team.

A fire burns in shipping containers that overturned at the Iskenderun Port in Hatay, Turkey, on February 7.

The Turkish port of Iskenderun remains closed following heavy damage from Monday’s earthquake and the subsequent fire which broke out amongst containers at the terminal yesterday evening, Danish container shipping firm Maersk said on Tuesday.

“The Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice, as teams look to repair the significant damage caused by the disaster and subsequent fire,” Maersk said in an updated statement Tuesday.

The company said that it is unclear when operations will resume and that it is looking to develop contingency plans, including diverting vessels.

Earlier on Tuesday, the company said that the fire was yet to be fully under control by authorities.

Separately, Maersk told CNN that it has been working with the EU and other global partners since early Monday morning “to assess and provide the support needed in Turkey and Syria.”

A soldier sits devastated near the collapsed building in Hatay, Turkey, on February 07.

At least 6,326 people across Turkey and Syria have been killed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Monday.

The death toll climbed to 4,544 in Turkey on Tuesday where 10 provinces were impacted, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

The number of those killed in Syria is more than 1,782: More than 970 people have been killed in opposition-held areas, according to Syria’s White Helmets, which is also known as Syria Civil Defense. In government-controlled areas, the death toll is 812, according to the state news agency SANA.

At least 30,474 people have been injured in the two countries, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets, and Syrian state media.

The Virginia Task Force 1 is sending a crew of 79 members and six dogs to Turkey following the devastating earthquakes, the team tweeted on Monday.

The team will join 78 members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who plan to depart on Monday evening, the department said in a release.

USA-01 Heavy USAR team members are in the air enroute to Turkey as a part of the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Assistance Response Team.

In this handout photo released on February 7, equipment and supplies for the Urban Search and Rescue team from Fairfax, Virginia, and USAID are loaded onto a transport plane to help in support operations for victims of the earthquake in Turkey, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.

Rescuers in Turkey and Syria are searching for survivors after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region on Monday, killing more than 5,000 people and injuring tens of thousands.

The region rocked by the powerful earthquake is overrun with ruins from collapsed buildings. Here are scenes from today’s aftermath. For more photos, go to our gallery.

Rescue teams carry the body of a victim from a destroyed building in Aleppo, Syria, on Tuesday, February 7.

Rescue teams search for people in a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey.

Black smoke rises from a fire at the Iskenderun port in Iskenderun, Turkey.

A survivor cries as rescuers look for victims in Hatay, Turkey.

Debris from a collapsed building surrounds an area in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

Survivors huddle around a fire as they wait for news of their loved ones in Iskenderun, Turkey.

People hand out food to survivors in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.

A man sits next to the body of a loved one covered with a blanket at the site of a collapsed building in Hatay, Turkey.

Women weep next to bodies lying on the back of a truck in Jandaris, Syria, on February 7.

At least 5,415 people across Turkey and Syria have been killed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Monday.

In Turkey, the death toll is 3,703, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

The number of those killed in Syria is more than 1,712: More than 900 people have been killed in opposition-held areas, according to Syria’s White Helmets, which is also known as Syria Civil Defense. In government-controlled areas, the death toll is 812, according to the state news agency SANA.

More than 26,035 people have been injured according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.

At least 125 aftershocks measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The frequency and magnitude of the aftershocks are decreasing as is expected as we get further out in the time from the original earthquake. However, 5.0 to 6.0+ aftershocks are still possible and bring a risk of additional damage to structures that are compromised from the original earthquake. This brings a continued threat to rescue teams and survivors.

The aftershocks stretch for more than 400 kilometers (or about 250 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey, oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the Mediterranean Sea off the northern coast of Syria up through the province of Malatya.

The death toll climbed to 3,703 in Turkey on Tuesday after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit 10 provinces on Monday, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

In addition, there are now 22,286 injured people in Turkey, according to an AFAD statement.

Here are the other key details from the statement:

Earthquake survivors sit sheltering in a tent the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's southeast in Hatay, Turkey, on February 7.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is warning of “catastrophic humanitarian needs” in both Syria and Turkey and appealing for critical funds and lifesaving support for those affected “before it is too late,” after the massive 7.8 magnitude quake that devastated the region, an IRC statement said Tuesday.

The IRC is also appealing to the international community to urgently increase funding to both Syria and Turkey to ensure that those affected will get the “lifesaving support they need before it is too late,” the IRC statement said.

The IRC is launching its earthquake response to both countries which will include provisions of cash, basic household items, dignity kits for women and girls and hygiene supplies.  

IRC will also support partners to provide essential health surfaces and safe spaces for women and children affected by this crisis.

There are discussions underway to open aid corridors from government-controlled parts of Syria to rebel-held areas following Monday’s powerful earthquake, Mohammad Hammoud, Syria country manager at the Norwegian Red Cross, told CNN on Tuesday.

Speaking to CNN’s Max Foster earlier today, Hammoud said he hopes that with the help and efforts from humanitarian communities, this would happen “in the coming days.”

When asked if the Syrian government in Damascus has been helpful to areas out of its control following the earthquake, Hammoud said: “They have stated that they are open to cross-line intervention, meaning from government-held areas to non-government-controlled areas.”

Earlier today, the head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent – which describes itself as an independent and volunteer-based humanitarian organization – said that the organization is ready to “immediately” send aid convoys to rebel-held areas, including Idlib, through the United Nations. 

Hammoud added that the humanitarian situation is worsening. “We are in a race against time,” he said, speaking from Damascus.

Describing rescue and search operations, Hammoud said that due to the lack of machinery most of the work on clearing rubble is done by hand while the cold weather conditions are not helping.

“The buildings are already weakened because of eleven years of war,” Hammoud told CNN.

Earthquake survivors cry on the street in Hatay, Turkey on February 07.

Countries, companies and non-profits are committing aid to the regions and people impacted by Monday’s powerful earthquake. Here’s what we know so far:

Ukraine will send 87 emergency rescue staff to Turkey to assist with relief efforts, following the deadly earthquake, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers announced on Tuesday. 

The 87 rescuers are part of a search and rescue detachment of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to the Turkish people on Tuesday in a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

“I expressed condolences over the tragedy that befell the 🇹🇷  [Turkish] people due to the earthquakes. I informed of the decision to send a group of rescuers and equipment from 🇺🇦 [Ukraine] to 🇹🇷 [Turkey] to help in overcoming the aftermath. They will soon arrive in 🇹🇷 ]Turkey’s] affected regions,” said Zelensky in a tweet about his conversation with Erdogan.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, people placed flowers and candles at the Turkish Embassy on Tuesday to pay respects to the victims of the earthquake. 

Rescue teams search through the wreckage of collapsed buildings in Aleppo, Syria, on February 7.

UNESCO, the United Nation’s cultural organization, says it will provide assistance following cultural site damage in Turkey and Syria due to Monday’s powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

Following an initial survey of damages, UNESCO said that it is “particularly concerned about the situation in the ancient city of Aleppo, which is on the List of World Heritage in Danger.”

It added that significant damage has been noted in the citadel. 

In the Turkish city of Diyarbakır, the agency lamented the collapse of several buildings. The city is home to the World Heritage site Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape, which is “an important centre of the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods,” according to the UNESCO press release.

The organization says it is mobilizing experts to establish a precise inventory of the damage “with the aim of rapidly securing and stabilizing these sites.”

Mohammad Hammoud, Syria country manager at the Norwegian Red Cross, told “CNN This Morning” that rescue searches face an “urgent” scramble to find survivors and “provide them with life-saving aid.”

“The lack of machinery to move the collapsed buildings means that most of the work is done by hand. We are mainly reliant on manpower,” Hammoud said, speaking from Damascus.

Hammoud continued to explain the struggles that rescue operations face in Syria.

“We have a lack of fuel. Some of the ambulance services have stopped working. We are trying now to find a way to get fuel into the country,” he said.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent has called for “cross-line” support, to enable resources to be sent from government-controlled parts of the country, like Damascus, to the rebel-controlled northwestern region, which has been worst hit by the earthquake.

“Currently, nothing has moved there, but there are discussions about moving aid and access to these areas,” Hammoud said. He hopes resources can be sent “in the coming days.”

In the meantime, his organization has been providing aid to survivors, while rescue efforts continue.

People sit next to a fire near the site of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 7.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Tuesday that there are 941 buildings totally collapsed in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the region on Monday.

Soylu said this number does not include the damaged buildings but only the buildings that totally collapsed in the city. 

Civilians and White Helmets members work to save people trapped beneath a destroyed building in Harem, Syria, on February 7.

Syria’s volunteer organization the White Helmets — also known as Syria Civil Defense — is continuing rescue operations in opposition-held northwest Syria despite “great difficulties and aftershocks,” they said in a tweet on Tuesday.

“Our teams continue rescue operations amid great difficulties and aftershocks,” the group said.

According to the group, more than 900 people in northwest Syria have been killed in the earthquake, and that number is expected to rise.

CNN was on the ground in Gaziantep, Turkey, where workers were trying to rescue people they heard under the rubble.

First, the workers asked everyone on the scene to be quiet so they could try to listen as they look for people to extract. After some observation, they called for water and resumed the generator to provide power for the machinery they were using for this extraction.

“One has to hope that there will be an extraction here — 15, at least, underneath this rubble. In the last few minutes, they have heard the voices of at least three. So this [is] now a live extraction now,” CNN’s Becky Anderson reported.

Watch the moment:

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Monday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused damage to part of a road in the Kahramanmaras region in Turkey, causing delays in delivery of aid to the impacted people and areas.

“The road ahead of us — part of it is missing because of damage done by the quake. That is causing a delay in getting urgent aid, urgently getting people out, frankly, from some of the areas,” CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh reported.

This comes under severe weather conditions, as the CNN team witnessed “intermittent horizontal snowstorms coming,” he said as a constant stream of excavators, ambulances and other help goes past.

Watch Nick Paton Walsh’s report here:

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At least 5,261 people across Turkey and Syria have been killed in the earthquake that struck the region on Monday

The number of people killed in Syria is more than 1,712. Syria’s White Helmets — also known as Syria Civil Defense — said on Tuesday that more than 900 people have been killed in opposition-held areas. In government-controlled areas, the death toll is 812, according to state news agency SANA.

In Turkey, the death toll is 3,549 according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.

More than 25,000 people have been injured according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.

Three British nationals are missing after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, the UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said. 

Addressing lawmakers in parliament in London Tuesday, Cleverly said: “As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing and the Foreign Office’s Crisis Response Hub is working to support the at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes.”

“We assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low,” he added. 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced on Tuesday the country would send humanitarian aid to Turkey to help the victims of the 7.8-magnitude quake, according to the reporting of Turkish state media Antara.

“The assistance is currently being prepared by the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, as well as the Social Affairs Ministry. It is being prepared and will be dispatched as soon as possible,” Widodo said, according to Antara.

According to Antara’s reporting, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin also highlighted the urgency of dispatching humanitarian aid to Turkey to return the support granted by the country to Indonesia during their times of need over major natural disasters in the past.

Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhammad Iqbal was also reported saying that the first batch of humanitarian aid, in the form of a freight container full of foods, is currently on its way from Ankara to Gaziantep, one of the most-affected cities after the earthquake.

Portable gas stoves and gas tanks, as well as 300 blankets for Indonesian nationals who have decided to remain in the affected cities, were also distributed according to state media.

According to state media reporting, Iqbal also said 10 Indonesian nationals were injured in Monday’s earthquake, with four of them having received medical care at local hospitals, while six will be evacuated to Ankara.

The embassy has also evacuated 104 Indonesian nationals from earthquake-affected regions to Ankara, state media added.

Taiwan is increasing its donation to the Turkish government to $2 million for disaster relief, and has dispatched two rescue teams to the country, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday.

The Taiwanese government had earlier announced Monday that it would donate $200,000 to Turkey following a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

More than 130 rescue workers have already been dispatched to Turkey to assist in rescue efforts as of Tuesday morning, Taiwan’s National Fire Agency said.

Christian Atsu during a match at Kassam Stadium, in Oxford, England, in February 2020.

Ghana soccer star Christian Atsu is in a “stable” condition at a local hospital after being successfully rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday, his agent, Nana Sechere, told CNN Tuesday.

Atsu, who plays for Hatayspor in Turkey, had been celebrating on Sunday night after he scored a last minute winner in his club’s 1-0 home league game against Kasimpasa, his agent said. 

“There were lots of reports out of England and Ghana that Christian was safe but the first official confirmation I had was on Tuesday morning,” Sechere said. 

Sechere said Atsu had been playing poker till 3:30 a.m. local time (7:30 p.m. ET) with friends on Monday morning and got home around 4 a.m. local time (8:00 p.m. ET).

The agent said he received a call from Hatayspor club officials at 5 a.m. local time (9:00 p.m. ET) saying the building Atsu was in had been completely destroyed and that they couldn’t get hold of him.

“The last I’d heard from Christian was midnight. I was hoping he was awake and that the earthquake hadn’t happened while he was sleeping,” Sechere said. 

“His building was an 11-story building and he was on the ninth floor. The club officials were trying to help me find him but it was so hard because, understandably, they were trying to find their own friends and families as well,” he added. 

“But I even remember when he signed for Hatayspor and we went to the hospital for a medical. Even then it was busy with people queueing and people on the floor. So I can only imagine what it is like with this situation,” Sechere said. 

Read more here.

The US Geological Survey is reporting that more than 100 aftershocks followed the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday, including one of magnitude 7.5.

Remember: All aftershocks are individual earthquakes. But as long as they are not stronger that the original, main quake, they are considered aftershocks.

Here’s a look at where these aftershocks struck:

People search in the rubble at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 7.

The death toll in Turkey from the earthquake on Monday has risen to at least 3,549, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his speech from the earthquake coordination center in the capital city of Ankara.  

There are at least 22,168 injured in the country, he added.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said some hotels in Antalya, Turkey, will house earthquake survivors.

“Starting from places close to the disaster area, the necessary plans are being made to put the hotels that have already suspended their activities due to the winter season to serve the disaster victims,” Erdogan said in a speech on Tuesday. “Only in the Antalya region, 50,000 beds have been prepared for this purpose.”

About 8,000 people were rescued from the rubble so far, Erdogan noted.

Here are the other aid and recovery efforts he detailed in his speech:

Rescuers search for survivors at the site of a collapsed building in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Tuesday.

Aid from around the world is heading toward Turkey and Syria, as rescuers locate survivors in the debris of collapsed buildings following Monday’s deadly earthquake.

Some 70 countries and 14 international organizations have offered to help in search and rescue operations for Turkey, the country’s President Recep Tayyip Ergodan said Tuesday.

Here’s a round-up of some of the latest pledges:

Watch here:

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke via phone with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and offered relief assistance to Syria in the wake of the deadly earthquake, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency spokesman on Tuesday.

On Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a call with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts that Egypt is sending urgent relief aid to both countries, according to tweets from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Civilians and members of the "White Helmets" work to save people trapped beneath a destroyed building in Harem, Syria, on Tuesday, February 7.

The “White Helmets” group, which is officially known as the Syria Civil Defense and operates in rebel-held territories in Syria, said hundreds of families are still trapped in the aftermath of the earthquake in the northwest of the country.

The group said in a tweet said the death and injury tolls “are expected to rise significantly because hundreds of families are still under the rubble.”

More than 210 buildings have totally collapsed in northwest Syria, the White Helmets added.

Members of the international community have stepped up to coordinate relief efforts to Turkey and Syria after the powerful quake.

However, Dr. Bachir Tajaldin, Turkey country director at the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), told CNN earlier that sending aid to Syria will be difficult because there “is no central government to take care of the multi-sectorial response.”

A man makes his way through the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on Tuesday, February 7.

Thousands of homes have been destroyed in areas affected by an earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said at a press briefing in Geneva Tuesday.

“This is the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in almost 100 years and came at the worst possible time for vulnerable children and families in the affected areas,” he added.

Elder also pointed that the most vulnerable are Syrian refugee families living in informal settlements and displaced families in northwest Syria who are also grappling with an ongoing cholera outbreak and heavy rain and snow.

Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who was killed in the earthquake.

Images of a father holding the hand of his dead daughter, crushed under layers of rubble, have emerged from the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras.

AFP photographer Adem Altan captured a series of pictures on Tuesday that show Mesut Hancer sitting amid a destroyed building as he clutches the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who was killed in the quake.

A closer view shows Hancer holding his daughter Irmak's hand amid the rubble.

Rescuers continue to search for survivors in the ruins of flattened buildings – amid severe weather conditions that are expected to worsen in the coming days.

The UN’s cross-border aid into Syria has been temporarily disrupted following the damage caused by Monday’s powerful earthquake, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) told CNN Tuesday.

The UN’s aid assistance has been “temporarily disrupted due to road challenges – particularly the road from Gaziantep to our Transshipment Hub in Hatay,” said Madevi Sun-Suon, OCHA spokesperson.

“We are exploring all avenues to reach people in need and conducting assessments on feasibility. We do have aid but this road issue is a big challenge as of now,” the spokesperson added. 

Around 4.1 million people rely on humanitarian assistance in the region of northwest Syria rocked by the quake, the majority of whom are women and children, according to an OCHA statement on Monday.

CNN’s Hira Humayun contributed reporting.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to press on February 7, in Ankara, Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces for three months, as the country reels from a powerful earthquake Monday that killed over 5,000 people across Turkey and Syria.

“We are declaring our 10 provinces where the earthquake occurred as disaster areas. We have decided to declare a state of emergency based on the authority given to us by the 119th article of the constitution in order to ensure that the search and rescue activities and subsequent studies can be carried out quickly,” Erdogan said during a televised speech Tuesday.

“With this decision, we will quickly complete the presidential and parliamentary processes.”

For many of the Syrian victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, this is just the latest in a decade-long series of tragedies.

The magnitude 7.8 quake struck in the early hours, killing more than 5,000 people in the two countries and leaving thousands more injured. It was the strongest earthquake recorded in Turkey in 84 years.

In Syria, most of the casualties were in the northwest of the country, predominantly in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to the state news agency, SANA.

This region was already struggling to rebuild vital infrastructure heavily damaged by continual aerial bombardment during the country’s civil war, which the United Nations estimates to have claimed 300,000 lives since 2011.

It’s a “crisis in the crisis,” El-Mostafa Benlamlih, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Syria, told CNN’s Christina Macfarlane on Monday.

The infrastructure has been crippled by the situation, the war and so on,” he said.

Read the full story:

People wrapped in blankets look at the rubble as the search for survivors continues in the aftermath of the earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria, on Tuesday.

Related article Earthquake aftermath is 'crisis in a crisis' for Syrians devastated by civil war | CNN

Search and rescue efforts continue through cold weather conditions in Malatya, Turkey, on Tuesday.

Extreme cold is hampering the efforts to rescue those trapped in the rubble in Turkey and Syria, and are endangering the thousands of people whose homes were damaged by Monday’s earthquake.

“Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures regularly drop below freezing and snow and freezing rain are common,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder at a news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

“Displaced families in northwest Syria, and Syrian refugee families living in Turkey in informal settlements are among the most vulnerable as overnight temperatures continue to dip below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit),” he said.

Photos taken in earthquake-hit cities in southeastern Turkey show families huddling around fires to keep warm.

Temperatures are already low, and by Wednesday they are expected to plummet several degrees below zero.

People warm themselves around a fire in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 7, in the aftermath of the earthquake.

An area of low pressure currently hangs over Turkey and Syria. As that moves off, this will bring “significantly colder air” down from central Turkey, according to CNN’s senior meteorologist Britley Ritz.

It is forecast to be -4 degrees Celsius in Gaziantep and -2 degrees in Aleppo on Wednesday morning. On Thursday, this is forecast to fall further, to -6 degrees in Gaziantep and -4 degrees in Aleppo.

Weather warnings are in place across the provinces of Adana and Kahramanmaras for winds of 50 to 75 kph (30 to 45 mph).

The conditions have already made it challenging for aid teams to reach the affected area, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, adding that helicopters were unable to take off on Monday due to the poor weather.

Footballer Christian Atsu is pictured during a Newcastle United training session in January 2021.

International footballer Christian Atsu has been rescued from the aftermath of the powerful earthquake which struck southern Turkey on Monday.

“We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment. Let’s continue to pray for Christian,” the Ghana Football Association tweeted Tuesday.

AFP reported Tuesday that Atsu – who is currently playing for Turkish team Hatayspor – had been found in the southern province of Hatay, citing an interview that Ghana’s ambassador to Turkey, Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, gave to radio station based in Accra.

Atsu was not immediately accounted for amid search and rescue efforts after the earthquake.

The player’s former club, Premier League side Everton, said it is “relieved” to hear of his rescue.

“We are relieved to hear Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued and is recovering in hospital. Our thoughts continue to be with everyone affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria,” Everton said on its official Facebook page.

Smoke billows from a fire in Iskenderun port in Turkey as people walk past collapsed buildings on Tuesday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that nearly 23 million people could be impacted by the powerful earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday, which has left over 5,000 people dead and thousands more injured.

“Event overview maps show that potentially 23 million people are exposed, including around 5 million vulnerable populations, including more than 350,000 older people, 1.4 million children,” WHO senior emergencies officer Adelheid Marschang told the UN health agency’s executive board meeting in Geneva.

The head of the WHO expressed his concern at the situation, calling it a “race against time.”

“We’re especially concerned about areas where we do not yet have information,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Damage mapping is one way to understand where we need to focus our attention.”

Footage of rescue efforts across both countries emerged Monday, with family members mourning the loss of loved ones while others celebrated as survivors were found in the rubble of fallen buildings.

The head of Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) said that the organization is ready to “immediately” send aid convoys to rebel-held areas, including Idlib, through the United Nations, as international leaders struggle to send aid to quake-stricken parts of northwest Syria amid ongoing conflict and political crisis.

SARC describes itself as an independent organization. The group operates primarily across government-held territories and is based in the capital Damascus. 

“We are ready to send an aid convoy through the cross-line into Idlib if they open the roads for us,” SARC President Khaled Hboubati told a news conference. 

“The death toll will increase … until right now there are buildings collapsing in Aleppo and Latakia,” Hboubati said. 

Hboubati added that the organization does not have enough capabilities to fully deal with the devastation. 

“We were in every location after the earthquake, but we do not have the equipment, we do not have heavy machinery,” Hboubati said. 

The official called for the lifting of international economic sanctions which are affecting the aid operation. 

The powerful earthquake Monday has left over 5,000 people dead and injured thousands more people across Turkey and Syria.

Dr. Bachir Tajaldin, Turkey country director at the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), told CNN earlier that sending relief to Syria will be challenging because there “is no central government to take care of the multi-sectorial response.”

A view of debris in Malatya, Turkey, on February 6.

At least 5,034 deaths have now been confirmed in Turkey and Syria after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the region early on Monday. 

Turkey’s death toll rose to at least 3,432, Turkey’s Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) said Tuesday.

The deaths were reported in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis and Malatya, AKOM said. 

At least 21,103 people have been reported injured, AKOM added. Almost 26,000 search and rescue personnel have been involved in operations, along with 360 vehicles and 3,361 pieces of equipment, including more than 600 cranes, it said.

Additionally, 2,769 personnel from 65 countries have been deployed to the disaster area, according to AKOM.

In Syria, the death toll has risen to at 1,602 across government-controlled areas and opposition-controlled areas, officials said.

At least 3,649 people have been reported injured across the country, according to officials.

This post has been updated with the latest figures.

People wrapped in blankets look at the rubble as the search for survivors continues in Aleppo, Syria on Tuesday.

Dr. Bachir Tajaldin, Turkey country director at the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), told CNN’s This Morning about the difficulty of providing aid to Syria.

“The situation in Turkey is coordinated through a very well developed government. They have infrastructure, they have rescue teams,” Tajaldin said.

SAMS is one of the many organizations providing relief in the region. This has been made harder after “the previous 12 years of crisis in Syria,” Tajaldin said. Attacks on civilian infrastructure and the absence of investment left northwestern Syria particularly vulnerable to this disaster.

“Yesterday we evacuated two maternity hospitals because of the physical impact of the earthquake on the infrastructure,” Tajaldin added.

China said it will do its best to provide assistance to Turkey and Syria after a devastating earthquake struck the region Monday, killing more than 5,000 people and injuring over 24,000 across both countries.

The first batch of aid to Turkey will be 40 million Chinese yuan ($5.9 million), while also dispatching rescue and medical teams, and emergency supplies, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Mao Ning said Tuesday.

Beijing is coordinating with Syria for emergency supplies and accelerating the implementation of ongoing food aid projects, Mao added.

So far no Chinese citizens have been reported killed in the earthquake, China’s MOFA also confirmed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent condolences to his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad, on Monday, according to state media Xinhua, as rescuers search for survivors in the rubble of flattened buildings.

Two Israeli aid groups have chartered a flight to Gaziantep on Tuesday to bring personnel and equipment to victims of the earthquake in Turkey.

United Hatzalah, an Israeli volunteer emergency medical service, chartered the flight on El Al Airlines alongside aid group IsraAid, United Hatzalah spokesperson Raphael Poch said.

Ten search and rescue specialists, a water expert, and more than a dozen doctors, paramedics and mental health specialists will be on board the flight, according to Poch and IsraAid spokesperson Shachar May.

The groups said they will also be bringing “several tons” of humanitarian aid in the form of bedding, tents, warm clothing, food, water filters, hygiene kits, and resilience kits.

Members of the White Helmets search through rubble for survivors in the countryside of the northwestern Syrian Idlib province, early on Monday.

Hundreds of families remain trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings in northwest Syria following Monday’s powerful earthquake, according to the White Helmets, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense.

More than 790 victims have been confirmed dead in rebel-held parts of northwest Syria, and more than 2,200 injured, the White Helmets said on Twitter.

However, “the numbers are expected to rise significantly because hundreds of families are still under the rubble,” the group said.

More than 210 buildings were destroyed by the quake in northwest Syria, the group added.

Some context: Syria, a country already suffering the effects of civil war, is facing widespread devastation from the quake. More than 1,500 fatalities and 3,600 wounded have been reported across the country, according to officials.

Some 4 million people in northern Syria were already displaced and relying on humanitarian support as a result of war, a UNICEF spokesman said earlier. Among major concerns now are a lack of access to shelter and safe drinking water amid freezing weather conditions and the risk of diseases such as cholera spreading.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif delivers a speech at the leaders summit of the COP27 climate conference on November 8, 2022.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Ankara on Wednesday to offer his support following the devastating earthquake.

Pakistan has also deployed two search and rescue teams to Turkey.

The international community has been quick to offer assistance to Turkey and Syria as the full scale of the disaster becomes clear.

Here’s a round-up of some of the latest pledges of support:

People search through the wreckage of a collapsed building in Idlib, Syria, on February 6.

More than 4,300 people were killed either side of the Turkey-Syria border when the 7.8-magnitude quake hit southern Turkey in the early hours of Monday. But with thousands more injured and an unknown number missing, it’s feared the final toll could be much higher.

In Syria, a country already suffering the effects of civil war, the devastation following Monday’s earthquake is widespread.

Rescuers search for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 7.

A massive international rescue effort is underway in Turkey and Syria to reach victims trapped within rubble as survivors endured their first night in freezing conditions beside the crumbled remains of thousands of homes and buildings.

The death toll continues to climb more than 24 hours after the quake as search terms navigate blocked roads and damaged infrastructure to reach the affected area, which has been rattled by at least 100 aftershocks.

A view of debris in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 6.

The United Nations said the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday was the county’s most powerful quake in more than 80 years.

UNOCHA said emergency response teams from the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and World Health Organization’s Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) are being mobilized to Turkey to assist in the humanitarian response. 

“The UN and partners are closely monitoring the situation on the ground and are looking to mobilize emergency funds in the region,” the report said. 

A 14-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble in the city of Kahramanmaras more than 24 hours after a powerful earthquake struck the region, according to CNN affiliate CNN Turk.

His rescue, broadcasted live on CNN Turk, showed emergency teams carrying the boy on a stretcher through crowds to an ambulance.

The boy has been transferred to hospital, the reporter said. His condition is not known.

An aerial view of debris as rescue workers conduct search and rescue operations on a collapsed building in Osmaniye, Turkey on February 6.

At least 100 aftershocks measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

As the time from the original earthquake extends, the frequency and magnitude of the aftershocks tend to decrease. However, 5.0 to 6.0-plus aftershocks are still likely to occur and bring a risk of additional damage to structures that are compromised from the original earthquake. This brings a continued threat to rescue teams and survivors.

The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey, oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the border with Syria up through the province of Malatya.

Planes carrying aid shipments from Iraq and Iran arrived at Damascus International Airport after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated Turkey and Syria, Syrian state media SANA reported.

The Iranian aid arrived on Monday and the Iraqi aid was delivered early Tuesday morning local time, SANA reported.

Mahdi Ghanem, an official at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told SANA that each plane carried about 70 tons of food, medical supplies, blankets and necessary supplies.

On Monday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani announced they would send a shipment of emergency medical supplies, first aid and shelter supplies as well as medicine and fuel.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad he would dispatch humanitarian aid to the area, Iranian state media IRNA reported.

People and rescue teams try to reach trapped residents inside collapsed buildings in Adana, Turkey, on February 6.

At least 4,372 deaths have been confirmed after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria early Monday.

Turkey’s toll rose to 2,921 as of Tuesday morning, according to Yunus Sezer, Turkey’s head of disaster services.

A total of 15,834 injuries have been reported, Sezer said in a news conference in Ankara.

Sezer said he would provide a more comprehensive update at 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. ET).

In Syria, 1,451 deaths and 3,531 injuries have been reported by officials.

Poor weather and the scale of the disaster are creating challenges for aid teams, according to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

Parts of southern Turkey and northern Syria have been hit by heavy snowstorms in recent days, with further sub-zero temperatures forecast.

All state institutions have been mobilized in the recovery effort, including the national police, municipal workers, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency and the Gendarmerie, an armed general law enforcement organization part of the Interior Ministry.   

At least 2,256 emergency health personnel workers have so far reached earthquake-affected provinces, the health minister said.   

At least 602 ambulances and two ambulance planes have been dispatched from neighboring cities. Also, 187 teams part of Turkey’s National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) have also been dispatched. 

“We have moved teams from surrounding provinces to the region,” the minister said.   

Iskenderun State Hospital, a hospital in the city of Iskenderun, collapsed due to the earthquake.

UNICEF says thousands of homes have likely been destroyed following an earthquake in Turkey and Syria on Monday.

At least 3,830 deaths have been confirmed after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria early Monday. In Turkey alone, at least 5,606 buildings collapsed, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency. There are reports of similar devastation in northern Syria.

It is also likely that hospitals and schools, along with other medical and education facilities, were “damaged or destroyed,” UNICEF said.

UNICEF is working with the Turkish government and Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management on the “emerging needs linked to the wider humanitarian response,” the statement said, adding that the group is also preparing to support efforts in Syria.

A man stands in front of a collapsed building in Osmaniye, Turkey.

More than 4,300 people have died and thousands more were injured after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday morning. 

The magnitude 7.8 quake was one of the strongest to strike the area in more than a century. Amid severe aftershocks, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) called for international help.

Here’s what to know:

Two search and rescue units from the United States will be sent to Turkey to assist with the aftermath of the earthquake, US Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake told CNN on Monday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with his Turkish counterpart on Monday, the State Department said.

“Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister [Mevlüt] Çavuşoğlu discussed ways the United States and our partners could best assist. Secretary Blinken confirmed our initial assistance response was already underway and pledged to do all that we can in coordination with Türkiye to assist the victims of the earthquake in both Türkiye and Syria,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said. 

In terms of getting support into Syria, Flake noted there are a number of humanitarian and church groups the US has worked with in the country. He said it makes it “doubly difficult” that there is no functioning government in Syria. 

Flake suggested that Americans direct donations through the Red Cross, non-profits and church groups if they want to help.

Syrians urgently need assistance after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit part of the country and Turkey early Monday, United Nations’ Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen said.

“I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call on the international community to help the thousands suffering from loss. Syrians urgently need global assistance,” Pedersen said.

Thousands of people have died and thousands more are hurt after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria Monday morning. The magnitude 7.8 quake was one of the strongest to strike the area in more than a century. Amid severe aftershocks, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) called for international help.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says it is “launching immediate cash assistance” from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to help relief efforts in both countries.

Many other organizations are also on the ground responding.

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