February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

US President Joe Biden has “authorized an immediate U.S. response” in the aftermath of a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria overnight. 

“Jill and I were deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes that have thus far claimed thousands of lives in Turkiye and Syria. My Administration has been working closely with our NATO Ally Turkiye, and I authorized an immediate U.S. response,” Biden said in a statement Monday morning as CNN is learning that more than 2,000 people have been killed and rescue and recovery efforts continue.

Senior US officials, he said, are coordinating their Turkish counterparts on assistance needs.

He added that “U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria.”

The President expressed condolences to those impacted by the earthquake.

Qatar and Kuwait will set up an air bridge for the flow of humanitarian aid into Turkey.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar’s International Search and Rescue Group (QSART) will fly to Turkey through the air bridge as soon as Monday, carrying with them specialized rescue and search vehicles, and relief aid, tents and winter supplies to set up field hospitals upon arrival, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said. 

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also ordered the establishment of the air bridge to send “urgent aid and medical staff,” Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said in a statement.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has led to a “catastrophic situation” in Syria, an official of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) told CNN.

“What we are seeing inside Syria really is a catastrophic situation,” said Mark Kaye, IRC's policy, advocacy and communications director for Middle East and North Africa.

The earthquake has made the situation worse for the already vulnerable and displaced populations in Syria, specifically the rural areas, Kaye said.

Displaced people living in makeshift camps are facing freezing winds and the camps are not equipped to withstand an earthquake of this intensity, he added.

Power cuts and a lack of communication across northern Syria have made search operations difficult, particularly in rural areas where the infrastructure is not built to withstand such a powerful earthquake, he explained.

He commended countries’ offers to send help to Turkey but said those commitments should translate to Syria as well, expressing concern that the "search and rescue operation really isn’t fit" for addressing the large numbers of people that may be affected.

The UN is ready to support emergency response efforts following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted on Monday.

Rescuers are now searching for survivors after the powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the region, leaving more than 2,000 people dead and thousands more injured.

More than a dozen provinces in eastern Turkey are under yellow and orange weather warnings through Tuesday, which are Level 1 and 2 out of 3, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Services website.

These weather warnings have been issued due to snowy and windy conditions including the provinces of Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, and Malatya, which have been experiencing several aftershocks over the last 12 hours.

Gaziantep, where the original 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred, is not included under any weather warnings, however, scattered rain showers and potential snow flurries are possible through Tuesday morning local time.

Temperatures are currently running around 5 to 8 degrees Celsius below average across the region. Low temperatures near the main earthquake’s epicenter are forecast to drop over the next couple of days. By Tuesday morning, temperatures will hover around the freezing mark but by Wednesday and Thursday morning temperatures will be several degrees below zero.

While Turkey and Syria are reeling from the aftermath of the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the impact was felt as far as Lebanon and Israel.

Take a look:

At least 1,498 people have died and 8,533 people were injured in Turkey after the devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, according to Yunus Sezer, the head of Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

There are 15,000 rescue personnel working in the region, and due to the bad weather, they are using helicopters and planes to reach the earthquake locations, Sezer said.

At least 2,834 buildings were damaged, and authorities are working on providing shelter for the citizens for the night, the official added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “deep sadness at the tragic loss of life and destruction” in Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake. 

He noted that an "initial response" from the US is already underway, and committed to providing assistance "in the days, weeks, and months ahead."

At least 120 aftershocks have occurred following Monday’s powerful earthquake in southern Turkey, according to an update from Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

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

Separately, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which only reports the more significant aftershocks that are actually felt by those in the earthquake zone, reported at least 43 aftershocks of 4.3 or greater magnitude.

Three of the aftershocks measured 6.0 or greater, including the massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck 95 kilometers (59 miles) north of the epicenter of the morning’s main quake, according to USGS.

The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (about 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.