Cornwall-based disaster relief organization ShelterBox announced it would deploy a team to Turkey to assist those affected by the deadly earthquake. ShelterBox said that its crew would travel to Turkey later this week as the death toll keeps rising. The organization was evaluating the “wider response effort,” according to Sam Hewett, the charity’s regional director, to coordinate its own activities. Freezing temperatures and persistent rain are further impeding the global search and rescue operation. “Access and communication are challenging, and that’s why responses must be well-coordinated to make sure that the right aid is getting to the right people, in the right place, at the right time,” ShelterBox head of emergency response Alice Jefferson said. The non-profit organization claimed that it was coordinating the reaction in Syria with its current partners, where it was already providing aid due to the continuing civil war. It claimed that it could offer a variety of assistance to those in need, including tents, shelter kits, and cash.

Numerous aftershocks, including one that was nearly as strong as the initial tremor, followed the earthquake, which affected southern Turkey and northern Syria. According to the official magnitude scale, it registered as a 7.8, or “major” earthquake. It ruptured along a fault line that was approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) long, seriously damaging buildings close to the fault. This incident took place early in the morning while individuals were sleeping inside. The level of readiness would be lower than for a place that was more accustomed to dealing with earthquakes because there had not been a large earthquake in this area in more than 200 years or any warning indicators.