ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkey on Tuesday holds pre-dawn vigils for the loss of more than 50,000 people -- and parts of entire cities -- in the earthquake-prone country's deadliest disaster of modern times. Grieving Turks are still coming to terms with how a 7.8-magnitude tremor could upturn the lives of millions...

The disaster, which killed more than 50,000 people in all, was Turkey's deadliest in many centuries. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the scale of the toll on negligent building contractors, accusing them of cutting corners by using cheap concrete and ignoring basic construction standards.

According to authorities in the central Ishikawa region hit by the 7.5-magnitude quake, the number of people unaccounted for fell to 103 from 195. The shock waves toppled buildings, sparked a major fire and triggered tsunami waves over a metre high. Thousands of rescuers have been drafted in from all...

Battling aftershocks and roads littered with gaping holes and blocked by frequent landslides, thousands of rescuers from all over Japan are trying to reach hundreds of people in stranded communities in the Ishikawa region. Two elderly women were pulled from the rubble, but hopes of finding other survivors are fading...

The 7.5-magnitude quake on January 1 that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a meter high, sparked a major fire and tore apart roads. The Noto Peninsula of the prefecture was most severely hit, with several hundred buildings ravaged by fire and...

The 7.5-magnitude quake, which hit Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu, triggered tsunami waves more than a meter high, toppled buildings, caused a major fire and tore apart roads. As daylight broke, the scale of the destruction on the Noto Peninsula emerged with buildings still on fire, houses...

A major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Japan's weather agency reported a succession of 21 quakes of 4.0 magnitude or stronger hitting the nation's central region in just over 90 minutes. Tsunami waves as high as 1.2 meters (four...

US Geological Survey said Monday night's magnitude-5.9 quake struck at a shallow depth with an epicenter around 100 kilometers from Gansu's provincial capital, Lanzhou. China's state news agency Xinhua reported the magnitude as 6.2 and said the shaking was felt as far away as the major city of Xi'an, about...

The quake was felt as far away as India's capital New Delhi, nearly 500 km from the epicentre, 42 km south of Jumla. "The death toll has reached 119 and at least 100 have been injured," Karnali Province police spokesman Gopal Chandra Bhattarai told AFP. "The remoteness of the districts...

After air strikes and artillery fire rained down for hours overnight, much of the Gaza Strip has become an indistinguishable wasteland of rubble, with residents likening the devastation to that of a natural disaster. The intense bombardments "changed the landscape", Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the Gaza Civil Defense said.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a shallow depth at around 05:10 am local time with its epicentre about 29 kms north of Herat. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.3, hit an area where about 1,000 people were killed after a series of similar...

Kashkak, Afghanistan--Afghan villagers and volunteers on Monday helped dig for survivors of a series of earthquakes that killed more than 2,000 people, as aid began trickling into the devastated region. Volunteers in trucks packed with food, tents and blankets flocked to hard-to-reach areas 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of Herat city,...

An AFP reporter saw dozens of homes ruined near the epicenter of the quakes, which shook the area for more than five hours. Men shovelled through piles of crumbled masonry as women and children waited in the open, with gutted homes displaying personal belongings flapping in the harsh wind.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The Red Cross appealed on Tuesday for more than $100 million to provide desperately needed assistance in Morocco, days after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 2,900 people. "We are seeking 100 million Swiss francs (US$112 million) to be able to deliver on the most pressing needs at this...

The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has warned that the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical for saving lives as the death toll keeps rising. At the same time, global aid and support has begun to pour into Morocco, led by the UAE, Qatar,...

Following the devastating earthquake in Morocco on Saturday that killed more than 2,000 people so far, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria and Israel along with several other countries offered condolences, support, and assistance. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasized solidarity with Morocco and ordered critical relief...

Following the devastating earthquake in Morocco on Saturday that killed more than 1,000 people so far, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria and Israel along with several other countries offered condolences, support, and assistance. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan emphasized solidarity with Morocco and ordered critical relief delivery.

Latakia, Syria--The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has inaugurated the Al Naqa housing project in the Latakia Governorate in Syria. The ERC announced in April the construction of 1,000 prefabricated housing units in seven areas in the Latakia Governorate worth $18 million to assist Syrian families affected by the earthquake that...

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a wide network of sources on the ground in Syria, said the volunteer was killed by a "guided missile fired by regime forces".More than four million people live in rebel-controlled areas of north and northwest Syria, an area hard hit...

Ankara, Turkiye - The World Bank has announced its approval of $1 billion in financing to assist Turkiye in the reconstruction of rural housing and essential public services in earthquake-affected regions. In a statement Wednesday, the World Bank highlighted that the "Turkiye Earthquake Resilience and Reconstruction Project" will contribute to...

The 10-truck convoy reach rebel-held Al-Nayrab in Idlib province from the direction of regime-held Saraqib, headed for storage facilities near the Turkish border. The last such convoy was in January. The trucks were covered with banners bearing the name and logo of the UN World Food Programme.

Seriously ill Syrians in the country's last rebel bastion of Idlib used to be able to access life-saving care across the border. But the main crossing there for medical visits slammed shut after a deadly earthquake ravaged southern Turkey on February 6, prompting Ankara to prioritise its domestic needs.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has begun his third term as Turkish president, vowing to serve "impartially". Despite an economic crisis and public dissatisfaction with the response to a devastating earthquake, he secured a victory in the historic runoff election. He has named Mehmet Simsek as finance minister and Hakan Fidan as...

Following international pressure, Damascus agreed to let the UN use the Bab al-Salama and Al-Rai crossings, operated by Turkish-backed rebels, to bring in food and medical supplies for three months. The permission had been set to expire May 13, so Syria's decision was welcome news for those affected as well...

Widespread public anger at the state's slow response to the tragedy leads many believe that Hatay's electors will vote differently.

The 69-year-old has become one of Turkey's most important and divisive leaders since his Islamic-rooted party ended half a century of secular rule and launched an era of social transformation. Turkey became a strategic player with a vibrant economy and a modern army of drones that shifted battlefields in wars...

Recent months have seen increasing Arab engagement with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been politically isolated in the region since the war broke out. A flurry of regional diplomatic activity has been underway in the past week as regional relations shift following a decision by Saudi Arabia and Iran...

Analysts warn that the economy may start heating up as the government rebuilds huge swaths of Turkey's southeast that were hit by a massive earthquake in February in which more than 50,000 people died. Erdogan, who will try to extend his rule into a third decade in the May 14...

Ankara, Turkey--Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday pledged to rebuild the country's southern region devastated by powerful earthquakes on 6th February, claiming the lives of more than 50,000 people. "Our aim is to restore our cities in the earthquake zone by handing over 319,000 residences and village houses to...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE has dispatched a plane carrying 38 tonnes of urgent medical and food supplies to Afghanistan to meet the needs of thousands of Afghan families affected by earthquakes that recently struck northeastern Afghanistan. The earthquakes resulted in numerous deaths and injuries and destroyed basic infrastructure. The provision...

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said initial assessments in Turkey revealed "severe damage to agriculture, including crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as rural infrastructure in affected areas". It said more than one-third of the population in the hardest-hit areas relied on agriculture to survive.

It was the second such attack in a month on the airport in Syria's second city, which has been a major conduit for relief flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of northern Syria and neighboring Turkey. The pre-dawn strike targeted "the airport compound and a weapons depot belonging to...

Washington, United States--Syria's economy is expected to contract 2.3% more than it otherwise would have due to the impact of last month's deadly earthquakes, the World Bank said on Monday. The earthquake and its aftershocks killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria, and displaced millions more. "The recent earthquake...

Brussels, Belgium--The European Investment Bank today pledged $535 million in earthquake reconstruction and recovery package for Turkey and Syria at the donors’ conference convened in Brussels by the European Commission and Swedish Presidency of the European Council. The EUR 500 million support from EIB Global, part of broader European Union...

"Canada is committed to providing relief to those impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria," said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) president Filippo Grandi concluded a five-day visit to earthquake-devastated areas of Syria and Turkey. He visited survivors, affected people and humanitarian staff working at the ground. The earthquake has claimed 54,000 lives in the two countries and caused massive destruction...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been politically isolated in the region since the start of Syria's war in 2011, triggered by the government's suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations, and was expelled from the Cairo-based Arab League. But since the quake, Arab leaders have made overtures to his government. "We welcome the...

Sham Sheikh Mohammed, who suffered severe crush injuries in a 40-hour ordeal under the rubble, has not yet been told that both her mother and sister died in the February 6 earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people in Syria and Turkey. Sham's story captivated Syrians and others around the...

Analysts view the opposition's failure to put aside their differences just two months before the vote as one of the main factors working in Erdogan's favour. Erdogan's public approval plunged after he unleashed an unusual economic experiment in late 2021 that tried to fight inflation by drastically cutting interest rates.

Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Saudi tourism minister and board chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development, signed an agreement with Turkish central bank governor Sahap Kavcioglu "to make a significant $5 billion deposit", the Saudi government said in a statement. "This deposit is a testament to the close cooperation and...

"Many refugees who fled to Turkey in search of safety and protection have now faced the trauma of loss and displacement once again -- losing their homes and livelihoods," the UN's International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a joint statement. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on...

A massive earthquake and aftershocks in February caused an estimated US$5.1 billion in direct physical damage in Syria, said the World Bank. The earthquake that struck on February 6 hit Turkey and Syria, devastating scores of cities and killing over 50,000 people in both countries. Millions need help with accommodation...

Pushing aside their differences in relations strained by regional disputes, the oil-rich United Arab Emirates and Turkey signed a free trade agreement on Friday. Importantly, the pact comes ahead of Turkey's elections on May 14 as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan carries on with his contested economic policies that have scared...

Istanbul, Turkey -Turkey’s economy posted 5.6 percent growth in 2022, growing faster than expected last quarter as the government ramped up spending ahead of elections. Gross domestic product rose 3.5% in the October-December period from a year earlier. Growth for the whole year was 5.6%, state statistics agency TurkStat data...

A total of 5,951 people were killed across Syria, while Turkey recorded 44,374 deaths after the February 6 earthquake. The new tally brings to 50,325 the total number of deaths caused by the disaster across both countries.

The World Bank warned that the continuing aftershocks are likely to increase the total amount of damage caused by the disaster. "This disaster serves as a reminder of Turkey’s high risk to earthquakes and of the need to enhance resilience in public and private infrastructure," said Humberto Lopez, the World...

Istanbul, Turkey - A 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Monday, causing some buildings already damaged by a powerful tremor earlier this month to collapse, the government's disaster agency said. The epicenter of the tremor was the Yesilyurt district in the Malatya province, which was hit by the February 6...

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, in a rare visit to Syria and Turkey, pledged solidarity with the people of the two countries after a devastating earthquake claimed tens of thousands of lives. Shoukry met with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and the country's foreign minister Faisal Mekded. He also met Turkish...

For the first time in a decade, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will visit Syria and Turkey to show ""solidarity with the two countries and their brotherly peoples" after the powerful earthquake that hit the two countries earlier this month. The visit illustrates the gradual acceptance of the once-isolated Syrian...

Istanbul, Turkey--Fears of another major earthquake have been rekindled in Istanbul since the February 6 disaster that hit Turkey and Syria, but a prominent Turkish seismologist has reassured the risk "hasn't increased". "The risk hasn't increased because we are talking about completely different systems," Dogan Kalafat, the director of the...