Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria: Death toll soars past 7,000 as rescuers scour the rubble

Getting aid to devastated parts of Syria damaged by Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake will be a major effort, with the situation complicated by large numbers of people displaced by war, the director of Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday.

“This is going to be a major, major lift for the international aid community,” Avril Benoît said on MSNBC.

At least 2,150 of the more than 7,000 people killed by the earthquakes were in Syria, which has suffered more than a decade of civil war. United Nations officials said that even before the earthquakes, nearly 70% of the population needed humanitarian assistance.

Millions have been displaced and are living outside, which raises the chance of infection, and the hospital system needs to be rebuilt, Benoît said.

“Already, we are concerned that it will be in the news today and forgotten in a short number of days,” Benoît said.

"These are not quick recoveries, and we know from all our experience of being on the ground that the management of the medical needs will be quite important,” she said.

Residents of many different countries are likely to be among those affected by the devastating earthquakes that have killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria, a State Department official said Tuesday.

No Americans are confirmed to have been killed, but State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that could change as more becomes known.

“I think we’re all realistic,” Price said. “We’re all very sober about the implications of this and the fact that many countries, many nationalities are likely to be implicated, just given the massive toll and destruction.”

U.S. consular officials have been in touch with the American citizen community in the region.

More than 7,000 people in Turkey and Syria have been killed, officials in the two countries have said, and the number could grow.

The United Nations’ office of humanitarian affairs released $25 million Tuesday in what it said was an effort to help “kick start” the response in the wake of powerful earthquakes that have killed thousands in Turkey and Syria.

The money is being released as more than 7,000 people have been confirmed dead in the two countries after Monday’s early-morning 7.8-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in Turkey, followed by a 7.5-magnitude aftershock.

“As the people in the region deal with the devastating consequences of this tragedy, we want to tell them that they are not alone,” Martin Griffiths, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement.

Other countries have also pledged aid, including $10 million by Australia. Countries around the world have sent rescue teams.

In Syria, where at least 2,150 people have died, according to officials and aid groups, the situation was already dire after more than a decade of civil war.

Nearly 70% of the population needed humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes, U.N. humanitarian coordinators for Syria and the Syrian crisis said in a joint statement.

Satellite photos taken Tuesday of areas in southwest Turkey appear to show the level of damage the earthquakes inflicted.

The photos, collected by Maxar Technologies, are compared against images of the same area from October.

"While clouds and poor weather continue to affect some of the area, our images today of the Turkish cities of Islahiye, Nurdagi and Duzici reveal significant damage to many buildings and infrastructure," Maxar said in a statement.

The company said it will continue to monitor the region for more information and images.

King Charles said Tuesday that he and his wife, Camilla, are "profoundly saddened" by the devastation.

"I can only begin to imagine the scale of suffering and loss as a result of these dreadful tragedies and I particularly wanted to convey our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who have lost their loved ones," he said in a statement on behalf of both of them.

The monarchy does not control the United Kingdom's governmental response. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken directly with the Turkish president to coordinate support. Sunak confirmed that a search and rescue team of 77 people has been deployed to Turkey to assist in recovery efforts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had calls Tuesday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Scholz offered condolences to Erdoğan over the tragic circumstances after the quakes, his office said in a release. He also pledged "extensive support" to Erdoğan.

A spokesperson for Sunak said he and Erdoğan spoke about the concerning humanitarian situation. Sunak pledged his "steadfast support" to Turkey and immediate assistance Tuesday.

“The Prime Minister confirmed that a 77-strong British search and rescue team arrived in Gaziantep today with specialist equipment and dogs, in response to a request from the Turkish government, and will immediately start work assisting with the rescue effort," the spokesperson said.

The death toll in Monday’s massive earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to 7,266 Tuesday, according to officials in both countries.

In Turkey, at least 5,434 people were killed and 22,168 others were injured, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said. About 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble. 

In Syria, at least 812 people were killed and 1,832 more were injured, the Health Ministry said.

At least 1,020 people have died and 2,400 were injured in Syria’s rebel-held areas, according to the White Helmets.

A newborn was rescued in Syria after a woman reportedly gave birth and became trapped in rubble following the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

Monday’s quake flattened the family’s home in Aleppo, a cousin told Agence France-Presse.

“We heard a voice while we were digging,” said the cousin, Khalil al-Suwadi. “We cleared the dust and found the baby with the umbilical cord, so we cut it, and my cousin took her to hospital.”

NBC News has not been able to independently verify the information.

The baby’s mother and father, four siblings and an aunt were killed, the cousin said, according to AFP.

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