Hello MEE readers. It has been six days since a massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and Syria, leading to at least 28,000 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.
Search and rescue teams have been working around the clock over the past few days. While hope for finding survivors more than 120 hours later dwindles, several people were pulled from the rubble today in "miracle rescues". The survivors included a two-month-old baby, an elderly woman, a two-year-old girl, a six-month pregnant woman, and a four-year-old and her father.
Meanwhile, security concerns led some aid operations to be suspended temporarily, and 48 people have been arrested for looting or trying to defraud victims in the aftermath of the quake in Turkey, state media reported.
Tens of thousands of rescue workers are still scouring through flattened neighbourhoods, despite freezing weather that has deepened the misery of millions now in desperate need of aid. The United Nations has warned that at least 870,000 people urgently need hot meals across Turkey and Syria. In Syria alone, up to 5.3 million people may have been made homeless.
Almost 26 million people have been affected by the earthquake, the World Health Organization (WHO) said as it launched a flash appeal on Saturday for $42.8m to cope with immediate, towering health needs.
MEE will be taking a pause in coverage. To stay updated, make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for the latest news.