Live updates: Focus on rebuilding as UN officials visit quake-hit Türkiye

The twin quakes were centred in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

The quakes were followed by 9,136 aftershocks, leaving at least 44,374 people dead in Türkiye alone, the country's disaster management agency AFAD says. In Syria, the death toll stood at 5,914.

Here is how you can help the earthquake victims. 

Following are the latest updates:

1538 GMT — Teams from 2 countries still in Türkiye's quake-hit region

Teams from Azerbaijan and the Philippines are still in Türkiye's quake-hit southern region to help with search and rescue efforts, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said.

"Nearly 11,500 search and rescue teams came from 90 countries...Two more countries, Georgia and Uzbekistan, returned as they completed their search and rescue efforts.

Currently two countries left, Azerbaijan and Philippines, with around 700 people," Cavusoglu told reporters in the quake-hit Adiyaman province.

"30 field hospitals came from 27 countries...Currently 10 of them have returned but 20 of them are active," Cavusoglu said. 

1446 GMT — Jordan continues humanitarian aid to quake victims in Syria, Türkiye

Jordan dispatched additional humanitarian aid to neighbouring Syria.

A Foreign Ministry statement said seven trucks loaded with aid from the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization crossed the Jaber-Nassib border crossing into Syria.

The aid “comes in implementation of the royal directives to help those affected by the earthquakes in both Syria and Türkiye,” the statement said.

Since the earthquake disaster, Jordan has sent 13 relief aid planes, 82 aid trucks and 10 ambulances, in addition to an air bridge to transport 10,000 tents for the quake victims in both Syria and Türkiye.

1419 GMT — Arab parliamentary delegation visits quake-hit Syria for 1st time since 2011

An Arab parliamentary delegation visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday to show solidarity with the victims of the earthquakes that killed thousands in Syria and Türkiye.

The visit was the first since 2011 when Syria’s membership in the Cairo-based Arab League was suspended amid a deadly regime crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Egypt’s state news agency MENA said Parliament Speaker Hanafi al Gebali arrived in Damascus as part of an Arab parliamentary delegation to show solidarity with Syria following the earthquakes.

1330 GMT — Indonesian doctors performing ‘duty of brotherhood’ in quake-hit Türkiye

Indonesian doctors are treating quake victims in a field hospital established by Indonesia in Türkiye’s southern Hatay province, which was affected by twin earthquakes on February 6.

Zainab Aqila, who studied medicine in Gaziantep province between 2013-2019, considers Türkiye as her second home.

Aqila came to the Hassa district with her medical team to show so lidarity with the Turkish people.

“There are a lot of upper respiratory tract complaints. There are also a lot of trauma cases due to earthquakes. Türkiye is my second hometown,” Aqila told Anadolu Agency.

Stressing that her anxiety increased as she could not hear from her friends in Türkiye, she said she wanted to come to the quake zone as soon as possible.

Corona Rintawan, another doctor at the field hospital, said they serve with a team of 105 people.

“Helping Türkiye is a duty of brotherhood,” he said, adding that they have treated 2,400 patients in the field hospital so f ar.

1229 GMT — Actor Daniel Craig lends voice to UK appeal for Türkiye, Syria quake victims

 A video clip appealing for aid to support people affected by the massive earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria was voiced by famous British actor Daniel Craig.

The 90-second footage, which features visuals from the devastating earthquakes, guides people on how they can donate to help the victims.

It has been broadcast by 29 UK media outlets and also appeared on digital screens in 18 locations.

A massive UK fundraising drive launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) raised £100 million (nearly $120 million) in just two weeks.

1109 GMT — Hungary's foreign minister due in Türkiye on solidary visit after earthquakes

 Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will visit Türkiye on Monday to express solidarity in the wake of the deadly earthquakes.

Szijjarto will meet Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in the capital Ankara “to show solidarity and convey condolences,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Hungary was among the dozens of countries that sent rescue teams and relief supplies after the twin tremors, which have claimed more than 44,374 lives in 11 southern Turkish provinces.

0056 GMT — Kenyan businessman sells gold necklace to help quake victims

Kenyan businessman Rashid Jama has said he sold a gold necklace worth $3,745 to raise money for earthquake victims in Türkiye.

Jama told Anadolu Agency that he was compelled to take action after hearing about the earthquakes that have claimed more than 44,200 lives in southern Türkiye. 

"I was very touched and saddened by the news when I saw the scale of the destruction," he said.

0004 GMT — Head of UN-Habitat visits 'apocalyptic' scenes in quake-hit area

The executive director of the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) has visited the Turkish province of Gaziantep, one of the provinces affected by the twin quakes that hit the southern region of the country earlier this month.

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, accompanied by Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan, Environment Minister Murat Kurum and Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanik visited container cities in the Nurdagi and Islahiye districts and talked to victims.

Sharif said she came to offer condolences, solidarity and hope to survivors.

She thanked the Turkish first lady for bringing her to the quake-hit zone and said: "I came here personally to witness the catastrophe. I can watch it from YouTube, I can watch it from TV but I decided to come here personally."

2343 GMT — Georgian search and rescue team returns to Tbilisi

A Georgian search and rescue team has returned to Tbilisi from quake-hit Türkiye.

"The Georgian search and rescue team returning from Hatay was met at the airport by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the head of the emergency management service, employees of the embassy and its departments and Turkish businessmen," the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi wrote on Twitter.

The embassy thanked the team in Turkish and Georgian.

For our live updates from Saturday (February 25), click here.