Late night update

Hello readers. As we approach the 11th day since the earthquakes first hit, the devastating aftermath is becoming evermore present.

The death toll has topped 41,000 in both Turkey and Syria and is expected to rise further. And the tens of thousands of survivors face a long road to recovery, with international aid continuing to pour in.

Northwest Syria is of most concern to aid organisations, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) noting that assistance to the region has been limited over the past week.

"The impact of the earthquake in areas of Syria controlled by the government is significant, but the services are there and there is access to those people. We have to remember here that in Syria, we've had ten years of war. The health system is amazingly fragile. People have been through hell," said WHO's emergencies director Mike Ryan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is travelling to Germany, Greece, and also Turkey where he will look over Washington's emergency assistance to the country.

Following a similar move made by the US last week, the UK announced that it would be issuing licences that would exempt humanitarian aid from being subject to its sanctions on Syria.

In many cities hit by the earthquakes, residents are now worried about another problem: disease. The lack of clean water, toilets, and showers is causing many to fear being exposed to viruses coming from a lack of hygienic conditions.

MEE is pausing its coverage for now, but will pick back up soon. To stay updated with the latest news on the earthquakes, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.