earthquakes

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.8 magnitude earthquake centered just off the Pacific Coast, about 50 miles south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city.

Camps in Syria have become overcrowded in the northwest of the country after the February 6 earthquake. NPR talks to Dr. Mego Terzian of Doctors without Borders about his assessment of the situation.

Some of those who lost their homes in the earthquakes that devastated southern Turkey still need tents - and dream of someday having a container to live in.

The city of Antakya, known in antiquity as Antioch, was at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. After the Feb. 6 earthquake, many of its centuries-old monuments and sites lie in ruins.

As Turkey's leaders promise a swift start to reconstruction efforts in the earthquake zone, attention is also turning to Istanbul — and whether Turkey's largest city is ready for a major quake.

The additional aid includes $50 million in emergency refugee and migration funds and $50 million in humanitarian assistance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

In the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria, several survivors stayed alive by chance when their collapsed walls provided protection.

Appeals for aid to Syria were falling short even before this month. Aid groups are trying to marshal more aid pledges while attention is still on the quakes, but the road to recovery will be long.

Even as rescuers rush to arrive, it's often locals who can best offer immediate help, experts say. And they say governments in devastated areas often fail to realize the scope and respond immediately.

The warning for Turkey's largest city comes as the death toll from last week's quake in Turkey and northern Syria now exceeds 40,000.