Rescuers in areas of Turkey and Syria searched in the frigid cold through the night after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused more than 3,400 deaths by Monday, knocking down thousands of buildings across the region.
President Joe Biden spoke with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pledge his support to provide "any and all needed assistance" to the NATO ally.
President Biden confirmed that U.S. teams were deploying to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and were coordinating health services and basic relief items for those affected.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to offer condolences for the loss of life and discuss "ways the United States and our partners could best assist," the White House said.
Secretary Blinken confirmed that an "initial assistance response was already underway" and he pledged to offer assistance in any way possible to assist victims in both Turkey and Syria, according to spokesperson Ned Price.
If you're interested in helping people affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, you can find a list of reputable aid organizations on scrippsnews.com.
Doctors without Borders said it has teams working in northwestern Syria, and has a link to donate to the organization on itswebsite.
