February 8, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

A combination of freezing weather and destroyed infrastructure is hampering rescue efforts in northwestern Syria, as aid workers struggle to access victims of the powerful earthquake amid conflict and political crisis there, a top charity official has told CNN.

"It is a difficult area for humanitarians, but over the years ... we've learned to steer away on political issues and focus on humanitarian assistance," Johan Mooij, the Syria Response director for World Vision, told CNN's Bianca Nobilo.

World Vision has staff stationed inside Syria to ease access to disaster-stricken regions, Mooij said.

Rescuers from the charity are working to provide shelter to survivors who have lost their homes. The loss of electricity lines, water and sewer systems have compounded the affects of the earthquake, Mooij added.

The region was already struggling to restore key 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.

The cold weather conditions in Turkey and Syria are also hampering aid efforts on both sides of the border, putting the lives of those trapped underneath the rubble, who have already gone days without food and water, at risk of hypothermia.

"This area was affected by so many disasters already in the last couple of years. And we talk about the war, we talk about displacement, Covid. There's been quite a bit cholera. And now, this. 

"People feel they are getting pretty desperate, and see no way out."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has landed in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş in Turkey ahead of his trip to areas heavily impacted by Monday's deadly earthquake, as the country reels from the deadly disaster.

Erdogan is expected to stop by an emergency relief area with tents during his visit to Kahramanmaraş city center and then go to the town of Pazarcık -- which suffered major damage following the quake -- state-run news agency Anadolu said.

He is scheduled to visit the province of Hatay later.

The Turkish leader on Tuesday declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces, as freezing weather conditions hamper rescue efforts.

Sanctions against Syria from the United States and European Union are preventing urgent aid from reaching those in need following the devastating earthquake, the country's representative to the United Nations said Tuesday.

Bassam added that search and rescue efforts were being impeded by the lack of aid, saying: "Of course the lack of equipment, the lack of capabilities in the government, it's there, because of the situation and because of the sanctions."

He appealed for all UN member countries to help.

"All Syria need this assistance, so whenever and whatever we receive, it will be for all Syrians," he said.

Some context: Most of the casualties in Syria have been reported 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 UN estimates to have claimed 300,000 lives since 2011.

Half of northwestern Syria’s 4.6 million population have been forced out of their homes by the conflict, with 1.7 million now living in tents and refugee camps in the region, according to the UN children’s agency, UNICEF. Last year, the agency reported that 3.3 million Syrians in the area were food insecure.

Several parts of northwestern Syria, including Idlib, are still controlled by anti-government rebels.

Rescue efforts are growing "harder" due to bitterly cold weather in Turkey and Syria, experts warned, while workers have not been able to access all the disaster areas — raising fears for many trapped under rubble

A cold and wet weather system moving through the region has seen temperatures plummet below freezing, jeopardizing the search for survivors on both sides of the border.

Cold weather ahead: Temperatures are already bitterly low, but are forecast to fall several degrees below zero on Wednesday.

Central Turkey is at its "coldest point" for this time of the year, CNN's senior meteorologist Britley Ritz said.

Meanwhile, in Aleppo, Syria, temperatures are expected to stay at zero or below.

Scattered showers and snow in the region are expected to continue, putting the lives of those trapped underneath the rubble, who have already gone days without food and water, at risk of hypothermia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit areas impacted by Monday's powerful earthquake, as rescue workers persevere with their mission to free people trapped under the rubble.

His visit will include the city of Kahramanmaraş and Hatay province near the powerful quake's epicenter, according to the Turkish president's office.

Erdogan earlier declared a three-month long state of emergency in 10 provinces.

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 8,764, according to officials.

In Turkey, 349 more deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the total in the country to 6,234, according to Turkish officials. At least 34,810 people have been injured in Turkey, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday.

In Syria, 2,530 fatalities have been confirmed in both government-controlled areas and rebel-held regions. A total of 4,654 injuries have been reported across Syria.

Agencies and rescue workers have warned the figures are likely to rise higher, especially in Syria, with many people still trapped under the rubble.

This post has been updated with the latest figures.

The colossal mission to find survivors in Gaziantep has been ongoing for more than 50 hours, with some rescuers using nothing more than their hands to dig through concrete and debris in the southern Turkish city.

A CNN team on the ground said rescuers are still receiving signs of life from what they believe is a "void" underneath a large pile of rubble.

Bulldozers and workers wearing helmets are ploughing through the mountainous pile of broken concrete, as plumes of dust surround them.

But they are worried about the infrastructure of buildings either side the rubble, which have been compromised following Monday's devastating quake — and could still collapse.

Global response: An outpouring of international support and aid has flown into Turkey and Syria, but access to many affected areas remains a challenge. Search teams have found it difficult to navigate blocked roads and collapsed buildings, while experiencing frequent violent aftershocks.

A structural engineer and humanitarian coordinator has urged rescuers in Turkey and Syria not to give up hope as survivors could be found up to "weeks" after the massive earthquake hit the region.

Speaking to CNN's Becky Anderson on Wednesday, president of non-profit Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief, Kit Miyamoto, praised the community in Turkey who came together and "did their part" after the quake struck Monday.

The Turkish government has been preparing for a disaster as destructive as this one for the past two decades but challenges have made search and rescue efforts difficult, Miyamoto said.

Countries and organizations from around the world have responded to the crisis with donations of money and equipment as rescue workers arrive in Turkey and Syria to help with the recovery operations. NATO said its members are sending more than 1,400 emergency response personnel, while a US rescue team is expect to land in the Turkish city of Adana today.

Four Australians are unaccounted for following Monday's devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the country's foreign minister said Thursday.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to their families, Wong added.

Australian search and rescue teams consisting of 72 personnel will be deployed to Turkey to assist, Wong said.

"These are urban search and rescue specialists, highly trained to locate, deliver medical assistance to, and remove victims who have been trapped or impacted by structural collapse," Wong said.