Turkey-Syria earthquake: As it happened

Mazen Alloush, the PR director of the Bab al-Hawa media office, told Middle East Eye that 14 UN trucks had passed through the crucial crossing. 

The trucks contained food and logistical material, including blankets, tents and insulation material for displaced Syrians. 

Urgent aid has been dispatched to earthquake-affected areas in northwestern Syria by the UN and Turkey. Relief packages, tents, and hygiene products are being provided, but no equipment has been sent yet to aid in the search and rescue efforts for victims trapped under the rubble pic.twitter.com/lFlLXHzO4C

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) February 11, 2023

A war of words has erupted over a charitable organisation started by a famous Turkish rock star.

After numerous social media users suggested donating to Haluk Levent's Ahbap organisation instead of the official AFAD, pro-government journalists criticised Levent and a "troll army" swarmed his online accounts.

The controversy has highlighted the mistrust felt by many in Turkey towards official state institutions and what many saw as the slow response by the government to Monday's earthquakes. 

Read more here.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said the Turkey-Syria earthquake was the worst event for the region in 100 years on Saturday. 

Speaking from the epicentre of the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Griffiths praised Turkish authorities for their quick response. 

He also told Reuters that he hoped aid would reach government controlled and rebel-held Syria but that the situation was “not clear yet”.

Turkish energy company Karadeniz holdings said it would send two humanitarian ships to help the aid effort in Hatay and house 1,500 people. 

Karadeniz said this would be their first-ever humanitarian mission and planned to send their "life ships" to Hatay, the epicentre of Monday’s earthquake. 

The company told Reuters in a statement that life ships typically have accommodation, fridges, heating and facilities for education, healthcare and food. 

Globally, Karadeniz is famous for its 36 floating power plants. 

Armenia has sent five trucks of humanitarian aid to Turkey after Turkish authorities opened a bridge crossing that had been closed for thirty years. 

The aid trucks passing the Alican border crossing in Turkey’s Igdir province are bound for the ten Turkish provinces directly affected by the earthquake, Anadolu agency said.

The last time the crossing was used was in 1988, when the Turkish Red Crescent delivered aid to Armenia after an earthquake struck the country. 

Good morning and welcome back to MEE’s live blog of the fallout from the earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkey on Monday.

Rescue workers are still searching for survivors, with thousands in both countries now homeless and temperatures expected to plummet to sub-zero. 

Here's what you need to know this morning: 

1. Turkey confirmed on Saturday that its death toll from the earthquake now stands at 20,665 people.
2. The death toll in government-run areas of Syria now stands at more than 3,500, with many still unaccounted for. 
3. Hundreds of thousands of people are now homeless in the freezing cold in both countries. 
4. The first UN aid convoy has entered northwest Syria from Turkey. The Bab al-Hawa crossing was severely damaged in the quakes. 
5. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said nearly 100 countries have offered help to the country since the earthquakes on Monday.

Hello MEE readers. It has been five days since a massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and Syria, leading to at least 23,700 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries. Search and rescue teams have been working around the clock over the past few days. However, as it is well past the critical 72-hour period, hopes for finding survivors have faded.

The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has approved international aid being delivered to rebel-held areas northwest of the country, which has received limited amounts of assistance since Monday. The UN Security Council is due to discuss the issue of cross-border aid into Syria as early as next week, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths is due to visit earthquake-hit areas this weekend.

Assad and his wife also made their first visit to the northern province of Aleppo following the deadly earthquake.

International donations have been pouring in for earthquake relief efforts, including from global football superstars. Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey, which was auctioned off, was sold at around $212,450. The proceeds of that sale will be donated to a nonprofit aiding earthquake disaster relief.

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.

A 70-year-old woman in Turkey was rescued from under the rubble after being trapped for 122 hours.

Cuba on Friday prepared to send healthcare workers to Turkey and Syria, joining a growing chorus of nations providing rescue and medical aid to the two countries after Monday's devastating earthquake.

Cuban authorities said 32 medics were set to depart for Turkey. Earlier in the week, Syrian ambassador Ghassan Obeid told Cuban state-run media that 27 Cuban medics would be headed to Syria.

Cuba has sent its "armies of white coats" to disaster sites and disease outbreaks around the world since its 1959 revolution.

Its doctors were on the front lines in the fight against cholera in Haiti and against Ebola in West Africa in the 2010s.

A number of top football stars have come together to raise money for relief efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

It all started with the Turkish football player Merih Demiral, who announced a fundraising effort through his professional e-sports outfit, Team Demiral. He quickly began to attract the biggest names in the sport.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Atletico Madrid stars Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane all offered signed jerseys to be auctioned off with proceeds donated to a nonprofit aiding earthquake disaster relief.

On Friday, the list of stars who donated their signed jerseys grew to include Manchester City players Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne; Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard; and the Paris Saint-Germain trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar.

Ronaldo's jersey alone was sold at around $212,450.

In addition to individual player contributions, football leagues have also chipped in and donated to aid efforts. The UK's Premier League has pledged one million pounds ($1.2m) to assist the victims.

The death toll in Syria has risen and it now is at least 3,553 people. In northwest rebel-held Syria, the latest figure for the number of people killed is 2,166, according to the White Helmets.

In areas controlled by the Syrian government, the death toll is 1,387, state media reported citing the Syrian health ministry.

The deadly 7.8- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province and shook Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine have affected around 23 million people. 

The death toll has passed 23,000 and tens of thousands of people have been injured. Around the world, people have seen horrific images of buildings crumbling and roads being torn open, as the death toll has continued to climb.

While search and rescue missions continue on the ground in Turkey and Syria, ordinary people have mobilised to offer their support in any way they can, offering a ray of hope amid the destruction. 

MEE takes a look at some of the acts of solidarity with those affected.

Global acts of solidarity offer hope amid devastation