Overnight update

Hello MEE readers. The watchtower in the Turkish city of Adiyaman remains stuck at 04:17, the moment the first tremor struck last week. And for many of the victims of the earthquake, their situation is similar, as they remain stuck and angry over the time it took to receive help.

The death toll from the devastating earthquakes has increased to more than 38,000 in Turkey.

In government-controlled Syria, Arab countries have been accelerating efforts to reestablish ties with President Bashar al-Assad in the aftermath of the disaster. Read more on that here.

Meanwhile, Syrian refugees that fled to Turkey after the civil war broke out are now returning to their country after either losing their homes in the quakes or to care for wounded relatives.

The direct damage to Turkey's physical infrastructure is estimated to be $25bn, according to the financial services company JP Morgan. Another report from a Turkish group estimated the damage to the country's economy to be around $84bn.

While rescue efforts have largely switched to a focus on providing relief to the survivors, search teams continue to locate people who have miraculously survived more than 200 hours after getting stuck under the rubble.

We are taking a break in coverage for the moment, but will pick back up soon. To stay updated with the latest news on the earthquakes, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.