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Thousands are Dead After Syria-Turkey Earthquake; Cold, Wintry Weather Hampers Search for Survivors; U.S. Recovers Parts of "Surveillance Balloon." Aired 3-4a ET
Aired February 07, 2023 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead here on "CNN Newsroom" --
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CHURCH: A desperate search for survivors in Turkey and Syria. Thousands already confirmed dead as crews comb through the rubble, looking for any signs of life.
And we are learning new details about China's suspected spy balloon. It was shot down after flying over the United States.
Plus, Ukraine says Russia was ramping up for a potential spring offensive and looking to mobilize hundreds of thousands of new troops.
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CHURCH: It is 11 a.m. in Turkey and Syria where the death toll is climbing after the region's strongest earthquake in nearly a century. More than 4,900 people are now confirmed dead and the World Health Organization is warning that number could rise.
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CHURCH: Thousands of buildings have collapsed, trapping people under the rubble. Rescue efforts are happening around the clock despite near freezing temperatures. More than 100 aftershocks from Monday's 7.8 earthquake have rattled the region. A CNN producer who was in southern Turkey said it felt like Armageddon.
Northwest Syria has been especially hard hit. Critical infrastructure in cities, including Aleppo, was already damaged by almost 12 years of civil war. Buildings and water towers came crashing down. Schools in Turkey are closed for the next week and the president has declared seven days of national mourning.
UNKNOWN (through translator): We barely escaped from inside the house. We have four children and we left the house with them at the last moment. I guess there are several people trapped inside. It was a huge disaster. Our situation is very bad here. We are waiting without food or water. We are in a miserable state.
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CHURCH: And CNN has correspondents spread out across the region covering this story from every angle. Eleni Giokos is following the latest updates from Dubai and CNN's Hadas Gold is standing by in Jerusalem.
But we begin with Salma Abdelazis who joins us live in Istanbul. So, Salma, talk to us about the situation on the ground because now, of course, it is a desperate fight to find survivors under that rubble.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, Rosemary. There are just these live pictures of rescue workers still trying to pull people out, still trying to pull survivors out, quietly listening to see if they can hear sounds of people still alive buried under their homes.
Now, of course, the sun has come up for the last few hours. That means that effort has really picked up pace. In overnight hours, countries around the world started sending their specialist teams, their promised aide and equipment that Turkey desperately needs to be able to cope with just the scope and scale of this rescue operation.
There is a fear to be thousands of people, again, just trapped under the rubble of their homes. It is important to remember here, of course, that this earthquake struck just after 4:00 a.m. So, you have many families across Turkey absolutely desperate to find out information about their missing loved ones, posting their home address on social media, just hoping to get more information.
It is absolutely this window, this period in time, this 24 to 48 hours after the earthquake that is critical. There is still a glimmer of hope to find people alive. But, again, you can just imagine how stretched thin these resources are and how desperate Turkey is for more help.
That death toll already climbing. I know we now have a confirmed death toll of over 4,000 here in turkey, some 15,000 injured, and again a countless number of people missing.
And farther to the south in Syria, perhaps the situation there is direr. It's hard to imagine a more vulnerable population being struck by yet another catastrophe than the Syrian people.
[03:05:00]
ABDELAZIZ: This is a part of the country that has been devastated by more than a decade of war, where hospitals, schools, clinics were targeted. That means there's very little infrastructure, very little resources for a population where many people there have already been displaced multiple times by this conflict.
An estimated four million displaced people lived in this affected area. They were already, many of them, dependent entirely reliant on humanitarian aid even before this earthquake. Now, they are made ever more vulnerable.
And that civil war, that civil conflict is playing out during these rescue operations, Rosemary, because you have different authorities on the ground. Syrian government controls part of the north. Other parts are controlled by rebel forces where families have to depend on rescue groups like the White Helmets. Of course, resources stretched thin after over a decade of war.
It is important here to note that this entire region has been affected by weather storms that have really dampened, hampered, created another challenge for these rescue workers. But really right now it is all about finding the survivors. It is all about finding those living and under that rubble and trying, trying to give that glimmer of hope to families desperately looking for their missing loved ones.
CHURCH: Yeah, that is the focus, but also, of course, the need to get shelter and warmth and food and water to the survivors. A lot of people made homeless as a result of this quake. Even those who still have a home don't want to go inside because of the fear of their building collapsing with all of these aftershocks.
So, what sort of help are people receiving on the ground from the government or any aid agencies at this juncture as their need is probably the greatest right now?
ABDELAZIZ: Over a hundred aftershocks, Rosemary. Over a hundred. I mean, that is quite extraordinary. One of those aftershocks just coming a few hours later, a 7.5 magnitude. So, you can imagine for families, just that constant rattling and shaking, how horrifying that must be.
Yes, this is a country very much prepared for earthquakes in the sense that it sits on a fault zone. It has been trying to bring up its building codes. But perhaps this part of Syria was -- part of Turkey, rather, was less prepared. It's a part of the country where Syrian refugees live, where there is more poverty, where there might be less of those stable structured buildings. A lot of concern around that.
That's what you saw happening last night. I know we have images of people essentially forced out of their homes or unable to go back home, made homeless, spending the night in these freezing cold temperatures with no help, with no shelter.
Again, you are looking at resources. They are absolutely stretched thin. We've already heard from families on the ground who say they received no help, that they are relying on the kindness of their neighbors and strangers who themselves have been forced out of their homes. Again, think in Syria where there is very little in the way of resources at all.
And so, today, as you see the sunlight come up, the search and rescue efforts go underway. You're going to start to see the tentacles of this help operation, this aid operation, really reach more of these affected areas and begin to address the needs of these families. Dozens of countries have already pledged help and support, but help can't come soon enough, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Of course, the world is watching this tragedy play out. It is just simply horrifying. Salma Abdelaziz, joining us live from Istanbul, many thanks for that report.
Meanwhile, the U.N. says Syrians urgently need assistance following this massive earthquake. The agency's humanitarian coordinator for Syria says that the situation there is really tough. He tells CNN that the search and rescue work is hampered by the lack of equipment and machinery to clear the rubble.
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EL-MOSTAFA BENLAMLIH, U.N. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN SYRIA: Many people are very scared. They don't want to go back to their houses, if we can call them houses in these cases, they are ruined sometimes. They are afraid of the tremors and some of them are quite strong. So, they are spending their nights in freezing temperature, snow. Others are sleeping in cars. The luckiest ones are sheltered in some schools, but many schools also got affected and cannot be used as shelters.
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CHURCH: According to the U.N., the region of Syria where that earthquake hit is where more than four million people already rely on humanitarian assistance. Most of them are women and children who are already battling an ongoing cholera outbreak and a harsh winter.
For more, we want to bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos, who joins us live from Dubai. Eleni, the death toll has now climbed above 4,900 in the wake of this massive quake.
[03:10:00]
CHURCH: So, aid and rescue teams are needed more than ever. What is the latest on that effort?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is harrowing to think that there are still hundreds of people still trapped under the rubble. The fear here is that many more lives will be lost. One saving grace, of course, is the fact that international assistance is on its way, but it couldn't come quick enough. There is obviously a huge time gap between, you know, pledging deployments and actually synchronizing with local authorities to get people to work.
We have also seen the weather is closing in on many of these regions. It is cold, it is wet, it is making the initial response a lot more difficult.
Countries from around the world are pledging as much as possible. You're seeing the United States saying that they're going to be spending 160 personnel. The E.U. has activated its emergency response team and also satellite-mapping services, which is going to help people on the ground. Britain is sending teams. The UAE and Qatar are also sending up teams, personnel, and importantly, field hospitals. And just to give you a glimpse of what is going on, sniffer dogs are absolutely vital in the process. You can see equipment is required. You need manpower to lift the rubble, to try and find people stuck beneath that.
In terms of Northwestern Syria, you are seeing the hardest hit areas already impacted by millions of displaced people, where this area has been impacted by almost 12 years of civil war, and largely, the rebel- held region, you know, cuts off from the rest of the country.
Some aid from Iraq has arrived in Damascus. The big question is, is that going to now be fed through into the rebel-held territory which, of course, is not synchronized with the rest of the country. A lot of the aid has been coming in from Turkey. Some of the other pledges that we have seen from Pakistan, from Spain, neighboring Greece, sending systems as well to Turkey.
You know, just seeing the international response has been overwhelming. But look, you're looking at a critical situation, every second absolutely counts. The White Helmets that operates in Syria say that they are running out of time.
And to further exacerbate the issue, shelter options for the people who are impacted are few and far between. We are hearing from an eyewitness that we spoke to, saying that he is seeing people sleeping out on the streets, in the freezing cold, that the hospitals were just not geared for this kind of catastrophe which is ongoing.
This is going to be happening and occurring over the next few days. We are seeing over 100 aftershocks that are hitting this region. Some as big as the initial earthquake, 7.8 in magnitude. The fear is that the already susceptible buildings are going to turn into rubble, impacting even more people.
You can see on that map, Rosemary, just how many regions. You are seeing metropoles impacted, you're seeing villages which are harder to reach and not getting that initial critical response as quickly as other regions.
Now, hopefully, they are going to have some of that pressure alleviated by the international community that is stepping in. The value chain that is required here, you need people, you need sniffer dogs, you need medical assistance, blankets, food, water.
Some countries are also stepping in with monetary assistance which will be important for the secondary part of the story in terms of dealing with any disease outbreaks and, of course, the trauma cases which we are seeing coming through. Over 15,000 people, Rosemary, are said to be injured in Turkey alone.
CHURCH: Yeah. Those numbers are just terrifying. It is just an exhausting and tragic situation, isn't it? Eleni Giokos, joining us live from Dubai, many thanks.
The cold wintry weather is making rescuers' jobs more difficult, of course, in Turkey and Syria. Parts of the region are blanketed with snow while others saw persistent rain on Monday. The precipitation is moving out, but colder temperatures are moving in. People in one Turkish town wrapped themselves in blankets and huddled around fires to try to keep warm in the near freezing weather.
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KAAN SANER, TURKISH RED CRESCENT: We are very much focusing on the coverage of the basic needs such as blankets and provision of foods because we are at the very initial stage of the response. So, we are trying to protect people from harsh winter conditions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: So, let's bring in CNN meteorologist Britleyr Ritz now. And Britley, with so many people now homeless as a result of this quake, they also have to deal with these aftershocks, the freezing conditions, wet weather. What more can you tell us about this?
[03:15:00]
BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Unfortunately, it's just going to get colder, Rosemary. As an area of low pressure moves out, winds switch direction, more out to the north. You can expect temperatures falling below freezing and below normal for at least the next 72 hours.
Right now, current temperatures in Aleppo are eight degrees. Yes, we are trying to warm up as we get out of the morning hours and into the afternoon, but as we clear the skies out in the upcoming evenings and early morning hours, all that heat escapes back through the atmosphere and we wind up much colder.
So, you're looking at satellite. The oranges, the purples, indicating moisture. That is starting to fade away, meaning that rain chances and snow chances will fade away, which is great, but the problem is the colder air that sets in behind.
There is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday showing you the rain chances and the snow chances starting to fade. But now, the colder air moves in as the winds switch more out of the north and we wind up freezing if not frigid in some cases, especially in central Turkey where temperatures are going to be well below normal.
Tuesday into Wednesday, notice the blues, the darker blues, really setting in. That sinking cold air pushes all the way down into Syria where temperatures in the morning will likely be below zero.
Aleppo, four below on Thursday morning. High temperatures, well above zero are still below normal. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday in Aleppo are all at eight degrees.
That magnitude of 7.8 that struck on the 6th of February early in the morning, that was the epicenter. We have the two plates that we are really focused on, the Arabian plate and the Anatolian plate. The Arabian plate is pushing the Anatolian plate. And along that fault line, we will experience more aftershocks. So, we can expect that here in the upcoming days. Again, it's not a good situation with the cold. Just to reiterate, we are staying below freezing in some of these cases, especially in central Turkey, so we will need to bundle up for many who are going through that process over the upcoming days, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right, Britley Ritz, many thanks for bringing us that live report. Do stay with CNN. We will have much more ahead this hour on the devastating earthquake and the help pouring in from all around the world.
Still to come, the U.S. recovers pieces of the Chinese balloon that shot down. What the debris could tell about Beijing 's surveillance methods. Back with that and more in just a moment.
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CHURCH: The U.S. military says that it previously failed to detect spy balloons that passed through the country before the one that was found and shot out of the sky last week. Officials have said that in at least three cases, Chinese spy balloons entered the United States during the Trump administration and were discovered only after President Biden took office.
[03:20:00]
CHURCH: The general in charge of North American Air Defense called this an awareness gap.
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GEN. GLEN VANHERCK, COMMANDER, U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND AND NORAD (voice- over): Every day as the NORAD commander, it's my responsibility to detect threats to North America. I will tell you that we did not detect those threats, and that's a domain awareness gap that we have to figure out.
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CHURCH: President Biden has been heavily criticized by Republicans with many wondering why his administration didn't shoot down the balloon before it crossed the country.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he will bring up the issue when a group of lawmakers are briefed on the matter this week. A congressional source says that briefing could happen as early as today, the same day that Mr. Biden delivers his state of the union address. The speech will likely address America's rivalry with China which took a new turn for the worse with the balloon incident.
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NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: The PRC knows precisely what this was. The PRC knows precisely why this was in our airspace. The PRC knows precisely what this was doing over the United States. And ultimately, the PRC knows precisely why we did what we did.
The secretary made the point on Friday that if the shoe were on the other foot, if something analogous were to have happened within PRC airspace, you can only imagine the response from Beijing.
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CHURCH: And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Kristie. So, the recovery of this Chinese balloon is now underway. What's the latest word from Beijing?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China is now saying that the balloon debris does not belong to the U.S. This is a top line coming out at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefing that wrapped up earlier this afternoon. China continues to insist that this was a civilian vessel that blew, of course, but the U.S. State Department overnight said that explanation rings hollow and insists this was used for spy craft.
In fact, according to the White House, they said that they found on this balloon, as they analyze and recover the debris, a propeller as well as an aerial rudder which gave it maneuverability.
Earlier, China condemned the U.S. shooting down this Chinese balloon, calling it an overreaction. China also says that it reserves the right to deal with similar situations, but did not elaborate on that.
Today, this afternoon, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a spokesperson said that the debris that is being recovered and analyzed right now by the United States belongs to China, not the U.S. Let's bring up the statement for you.
This is according to the MOFA spokesperson, Mao Ning, who said this. Quote -- "The airship is China's, not the U.S.'s." -- end quote. It goes on to say that the United States should have handled it properly in a calm, professional, non-forceful manner, but its insistence on using force is a clear overreaction.
The Chinese balloon caused a political uproar in the United States. It also prompted the U.S. secretary of state to cancel his planned February visit to China. The White House says that this Chinese balloon was not for meteorological purposes, but it also says that it plans to maintain a calm approach when it comes to U.S.-China relations.
We're going to share with you this quote from the U.S. White House press secretary overnight, saying this. Quote -- "About the approach, it is up to China to figure out what kind of relationship they want." -- unquote.
The White House says that Blinken will reschedule his visit to Beijing, but has to wait until the timing is right. Back to you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right, Kristie Lu Stout, joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks. David Sanger joins me now from Washington D.C. He is a CNN political and national security analyst and a White House national security correspondent for "The New York Times." He is also the author of "The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age." We appreciate you being with us.
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES, AUTHOR: Great to be back with you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, David, the relationship between the U.S. and China was already tense before the spy balloon saga. Now, of course, shooting it down has China threatening to do the same in any similar situation. We know, of course, that countries spy on each other.
So, what intelligence did China likely receive while this balloon moved across the U.S. mainland before being shot down over water, or do you believe what the Pentagon says, that it used jamming technology to stop any intel being sent to Beijing?
SANGER: Well, right now, we do not know entirely what to believe. And because the actual devices are being recovered from the ocean floor, it may be a little while before U.S. officials know exactly what this balloon or the devices attached to it were intended to collect.
[03:25:00]
SANGER: And then they will have to make decision about how much to reveal. I suspect that they will reveal most of it because the Chinese already know what it is that they were collecting.
The best guesswork that I have heard, Rosemary, is that as the United States have improved digitized and better encrypted the communications used in our nuclear forces, that is a subject of great interest to the Chinese.
And something that you could pick up from a device like this floating 65,000 feet above the earth surface, you can't get from a satellite. From a satellite, you can get imagery, of course, but not much telecommunications that are on the ground.
We don't know for a fact if that is what they were looking for. What we do know is that China has got a big program to do this. You've seen another balloon that is flying over Latin America. We now know that there were three previous incursions.
And the head of the North American Air Defense Operations, U.S. general, said today that, in fact, they did not pick this up in the previous cases in real time. They only figured them out later on. So, obviously, there is a new big effort by China underway here.
CHURCH: And David, while China says that the U.S. overreacted, Republicans say the balloon should have been shot down much earlier. They plan to vote on a resolution in the coming hours condemning the president's handling of this incident, injecting politics into an already tense situation. But the Pentagon has revealed that the balloon was about 60 meters tall. That's about 200 feet. And the payload weighed more than 900 kilograms or 2000 pounds. With a massive debris field, how likely is it that this and the fact that intel can now be gleaned from that recovered debris change the minds of Republicans? Do they need to budge on this?
SANGER: You know, I don't think it's going to change their minds, but that's more a political statement than an intel collection statement. There were two moments, Rosemary, to take this thing down. One was when it was over the illusions (ph) before it entered the U.S. At that time, they did not know what the path of the balloon would be.
And the second was the time that they did it, when it left the United States, come in the United States, but was still over shallow enough water that they knew if they shot it down, they could go and collect it.
If you do this over land, you obviously run the risk of hitting people, a school, a factory, who knows what, doing damage, but you are also likely to damage the equipment that it would be unrecoverable.
CHURCH: Right. You touched on this, too. China has claimed ownership of that second suspected spy balloon over Latin America. We are learning, as you say, that three Chinese balloons apparently flew over the U.S. during the Trump presidency. So, how likely is it, do you think, that China would retaliate in any way given that it has said that it now has the right to respond in a similar situation? Will these other balloons perhaps make the situation a little calmer?
SANGER: You know, I do not know what they mean by retaliate. But here is what we do know. We do know that in 2001, they brought down, through a collision, we're not entirely sure if it was completely intentional, an EP3 American spy plane that was probably 70 miles off of the coast of Cayman Island in China. So, well out in international waters.
I have no doubt that if we floated a balloon with a similar kind of equipment over either Chinese territory or disputed Chinese territory like those islands that China has built on sandbars in the South China Sea, they would have taken it down before we did this.
CHURCH: David Sanger, thank you so much for joining us. appreciate it.
SANGER: Thank you, Rosemary. Great to be with you.
CHURCH: We are getting disturbing new information out of Syria about the number of people trapped in the wreckage from that devastating earthquake. We will have a closer look at rescue efforts across the region.
[03:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: There has been another big jump in the death toll from the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria. We are now hearing more than 4,900 people are confirmed dead. More than 20,000 others are wounded and those figures will only keep rising as emergency crews move deeper into the disaster zone. It's too soon to know how many people could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
In Turkey, a journalist interrupted his live report to help bring a terrified little girl to safety following an aftershock that brought down another structure. Turkish authorities say about 11,000 buildings have been damaged.
Most of the destruction in Syria has been in the northwestern region, which borders Turkey and is controlled by anti-government forces. Syria's volunteer rescue group, the White Helmets, says more than 200 buildings there have totally collapsed and hundreds of families are stuck in the rubble. The region had already been suffering from more than a decade of civil war.
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UNKNOWN (through translation): We are in the street. We do not have a place to go. There is either the mosque or the street. We remember the days of the war, but this is God's will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, our next story contains disturbing images from the Syrian quake zone. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is there and has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN (voice-over): Not everyone woke up today. Dozens of children pulled from under the rubble in this rebel-held Syrian town. Their lifeless bodies lining the corridors of the overwhelmed hospital.
OSAMA ABOL EZZ, SYRIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY: Most of the casualties are children and women. And there is a lot, a lot under the rubble. And we guess we receive more and more every hour.
WALSH (voice-over): The destruction knew no borders. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake and over 100 powerful aftershocks flattened buildings in Turkey and Syria.
In Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter in Turkey, people woke up to site of their world's demolished wondering if their neighbors are still alive under the rubble.
UNKNOWN (through translation): As soon as the shaking slowed down, we threw ourselves outside. By the dawn, we started looking for our relatives. We have losses and there are several people we still can't reach. At the moment, two voices are coming from the rubble. WALSH (voice-over): Aftershocks caught rescuers and journalists by
surprise, some almost as powerful as the first earthquake. Reducing the crumbling buildings into dust, sending survivors running for their lives again.
[03:35:00]
CATHERINE SMALLWOOD, SENIOR EMERGENCY OFFICER, WHO EUROPE: Now is the time to really be able to prevent those -- some of those further deaths. Some people, unfortunately, won't be saved.
WALSH (voice-over): And near-freezing temperatures, the snowstorms are hampering what would already be tough rescue efforts.
Where the destruction is worst, the bodies will be pulled out slowly, each one laden with hope for a miracle that slips away with each icy hour. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Southern Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Monday's earthquake was so strong that it was felt as far away as Israel and the Palestinian territories. Now, the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority are both sending humanitarian aid and assistance. And our Hadas Gold is standing by in Jerusalem. So, Hadas, what more are you learning about these rescue teams, and of course the aid being sent?
HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, both the Israeli and Palestinian governments have announced that they will be sending assistance to the victims both in Turkey and Syria. On the Israeli side, we do know that at least two planes have actually already made it to Turkey with 150 search and rescuers. This is from the Israeli military and they are really focusing on just search and rescue teams and sort of emergency medical personnel.
We also know that the Palestinian authority, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, announced yesterday that they will also be sending a defense and rescue teams to try and help the people in Syria and Turkey. What's also interesting is the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the Israeli government will also be sending help to Syria, which although is Israel's neighbor, Israel and Syria have no diplomatic relations and are technically actually still at war. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translation): During the past 24 hours, there has been a very severe earthquake in Turkey that surrounded other areas as well. I ordered to send at the request of the Turkish government, rescue teams and medical aid. This is what we do around the world and this is what we do in areas close to us. Since a request was also received to do this from any victims of the earthquake in Syria, I instructed to do this as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GOLD: So, Netanyahu also said that he received that request for Syria
-- for help in Syria, through diplomatic channels and we've actually learned from an Israeli security force that that diplomatic security channel was actually the Russian government who came to the Israeli government and asked for help to Syria. Although a Syrian government source speaking to a pro-government media outlet in Syria rejected the notion that Syria had asked the Russians to ask the Israelis for help, although Israeli officials tell me that they are planning to send things like blankets, food, and medical supplies.
Still not clear on how that is getting to Syria from Israel. I also actually just heard from two different Israeli aid groups who say that they have chartered a special flight that will be taking off in the coming hours to southern Turkey. They are getting as close as possible as they can. There will be at least a dozen search and rescue specialists. They are also sending more than a dozen medical personnel, doctors, paramedics, as well as people who are -- their specialty is in water filtration, in psycho-trauma, and things like that who can try and help on the ground.
We also heard overnight from the Israeli minister of defense they have received approval from the Turkish government to get a field hospital into southern Turkey. That will likely be coming in the coming hours, a day or so. This will be a military field hospital likely coming in on military planes. And I know that more aid groups are trying to get as much supplies as they can onto these planes.
From Israel, it's about a two-hour flight to get -- if you can fly direct as close as possible to where this happened. Obviously, there's a lot of issues when it comes to the condition of the airports, of the airfields, how close you can get, of course, the roads. Lots of logistics to be worked out, but there is a major effort from across governments who are around the area.
As we noted, we could feel the earthquake, the initial earthquake here and in fact, some of those really strong aftershocks were felt in places like northern Israel that prompted people to evacuate. So,0 there is a very much an awareness here of what's happening. And also, that weather, that winter storm that's affecting southern Turkey and northern Syria, we're feeling it as well down here. And so, there is very much an awareness of what they are facing. Many aid groups, governments from Israel across the (inaudible) territories and to Jordan are trying to send whatever aid they can. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right, Hadas gold, joining us live from Jerusalem. Many thanks. Well, for more on this story I'm joined now by Riad Sargi who is the executive director of the aid group Caritas Syria. He is in Damascus. Thank you so much for talking with us. Hopefully that doesn't mean -- it looks like we have lost our signal.
Just if I can get confirmation from the control room. We have lost our guest? All right, apparently, he is back. Riad Sargi, sorry about that.
[3:39:59] You disappeared for just a moment. If you could just, please talk to us about what is happening as far as getting aid to those most in need and the aftermath of this devastating earthquake?
RIAD SARGI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CARITA SYRIA: Greetings from the one that Syria. In fact, what happened yesterday early morning was terrifying and painful. I am heartbroken by the deadly earthquake that took lives of more than 400 people -- Syrian people, including children and others. Plus, more than 1,400 injured people, and thousands of people are still stuck in the rubble.
Thousands of families slept yesterday in their cars. In this harsh weather conditions of cold rain and the snow, they found themselves suddenly without any houses to return to. We ask the almighty God for mercy for those who lost their lives and (inaudible) recovery for the wounded people.
More than 100 buildings collapsed and thousands of buildings have measured cracks. Some of them already collapsed yesterday and this morning -- yesterday evening and this early morning. And some of them is about to collapse.
After 10 years of crisis in Syria, in which the majority of the infrastructure are destroyed, in addition to unfair sanctions applied on the Syrian people, we found ourselves in need for every assistance, every kind of assistance to face this big earthquake happened yesterday.
CHURCH: And sir -- and sir, a lot of help is coming in from all around the world, including from your region. Can you talk to us about what your organization is able to do in terms of getting aid to those in need? Have you've been able to get any aid through?
SARGI: Yes. In fact, our team in Aleppo and Lattakia work actively starting from (inaudible). And we are collecting now the data and compare with other organizations. We will submit -- they need everything. The people there need everything, especially now, they need blankets, mattress and also every kind of food, non-food items and water. They told me they need also water. They need really, really everything.
And we have shortage in essential equipment like ambulances, trucks, bulldozers, lifters, and so on, to do the job in Aleppo, especially in Aleppo and Lattakia. Also, they need the fuel for heating. In addition, they need a lot of medicines and medical devices. We have a big meeting with Caritas Internationalis and all the Caritas partner this afternoon in order to see how to act actively and to give immediate response for this big crisis.
CHURCH: All right, Riad Sargi, thank you so much for talking with us and hopefully your pleas are heard from nations all around the world, particularly in your region. You can get those needs to you as soon as possible, to those in the aftermath of this disaster. And thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate it.
SARGI: Thank you so much. Thank you. CHURCH: Well, you're never too old to defend your country. We'll explain how this 102-year-old Ukrainian woman is helping this camouflage sniper. Her battle for her homeland is coming up on "CNN Newsroom."
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[03:45:00]
CHURCH: Nearly a year into Russia's war on Ukraine, a top Ukrainian official says Moscow is planning to call up even more soldiers in the months ahead. Russia has denied such claims, but the deputy head of Ukraine's defense intelligence says Kyiv expects Russia to mobilize up to half a million additional troops to carry out operations in the east and south.
Already, we have seen fierce fighting on the front lines in the east, in the town of Vuhledar, in the Donetsk region, and in the city of Bakhmut where intense battles are ongoing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): In the Donetsk region and in other areas, special attention is paid to Bakhmut, to our defense, to the occupiers that seems to encircle the city and break defense lines there. We are reacting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments for us. She joins us now live from London. Good morning to you again, Clare. So, what more are you learning about this possible mobilization of an additional half a million Russian troops in the coming months?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Kremlin flatly denies, Rosemary, that they are planning any kind of second wave of mobilization. You'll remember how unpopular the first wave was, sparking panic in Russia and mass exodus of fighting aged men. So, they may be reluctant to do it again, given the risks of rising dissent at home.
This is, you say, is coming from Ukrainian military intelligence. The deputy head of defense intelligence saying that he expects not only a second wave of mobilization, but it'll be bigger than the first, up to half a million men, he says could be mobilized. It could take two months, which by the way is twice the length, timewise of the first mobilization officially.
And he says this is designed to fuel offensive operations by Russia in the east and the south. We know that Ukraine has, for many months, been telegraphing that it expects Russia to ramp up offensive operations in the spring and potentially the summer, a major offensive designed to take more ground not just continue what they've been doing in terms of mostly defending the ground that they already have.
As I said, the Kremlin denies it. We do know that they are planning to modernize their military including increasing the size of their standing army. And we know from reports on the ground that they have been taking heavy losses so, it could stand to reason that they want to replenish those losses as well as potentially add to their numbers in Ukraine for some kind of spring offensive.
CHURCH: And Clare, the Wagner group has played a huge role, hasn't it, in Russians fight in the eastern front. And now we're getting video of Wagner's boss and a fighter jet. What is he trying to do here?
SEBASTIAN: So, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder and now increasingly visible head of the Wagner Mercenary group appearing in a video. He's been appearing in a number of seemingly choreographed videos over the past few months. This video showing him, reportedly, in an SU-24 Russian fighter jet.
He then says, bomb Bakhmut, and essentially challenges Ukraine's President Zelenskyy to an aerial duel. He says he will be back up in a MIG-29 the following day. Obviously, we can't verify that he is actually in a fighter jet and that he was flying over Bakhmut. But what this does underscore is that Wagner continues to assert itself, continues to assert its dominance, particularly on that eastern front.
Interesting that it should be Prigozhin challenging Zelenskyy to a duel rather than the Russian president himself. And I think it underscores as well that while Prigozhin himself said over the weekend that Ukraine is not backing down when it comes to Bakhmut, that Russia, and especially Wagner is not backing down either.
[03:50:02]
And that of course, backed up by the violence that we continue to see on the ground.
CHURCH: All right, thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London.
Well, as we approach one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, one thing is clear. Vladimir Putin underestimated the will of the Ukrainian people. From soldiers serving as snipers to the 102-year-old great grandmother who is helping them hide and fight. Sam Kiley has her remarkable story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At 102, Liubov's survival is extraordinary. Not least because she has endured three famines over her century and all of them blamed on the Kremlin.
LIUBOV YAROSH, HOLODOMOR SURVIVOR (through translation): We ate linden leaves and nettles. We used to grind these wild plants into flour, bake with, it and eat it.
KILEY (voice-over): At 13, she saw her older brother and sister perish in Ukraine's worst mass starvation, the Holodomor. YAROSH (through translation): My legs were swollen. My arms were
swollen. I was so sick. I thought I was going to die.
KILEY (voice-over): In the early 1930s on Joseph Stalin's orders, Ukraine's farmers were stripped of every grain they produced to feed Moscow's industrialization.
YAROSH (through translation): Tiny children were dying of hunger. They were taken to a truck. They dug a big hole and threw them all in.
KILEY (voice-over): Ukraine is now 11 months into the latest Russian invasion. Three of her grandchildren are soldiers fighting Russian troops because Russia's president doesn't believe that Ukraine exists.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translation): It should be noted that Ukraine actually never had stable traditions of real statehood, Putin claimed.
KILEY (voice-over): Russia's assault on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, failed last year. Many Ukrainians believe they are fighting off another attempt at genocide.
MYKHAILO KOSTIV (through translation): The leaders and organizers of the genocide sits in the same offices, in the same place. At the center of these events is Moscow and the object of destruction is Ukraine nation.
KILEY (voice-over): Ukraine's government says that thousands of citizens have been forced into Russian territory and 14,000 children are missing.
(On camera): How many millions of people died in the many famines brought upon by Russia in this country over the last century is a matter of debate among historians. So, human rights lawyers will debate whether or not what is happening today can be defined as a genocide. But there is no question that over the last hundred years, the relationship between Moscow and Ukraine has been bleak.
YAROSH (through translation): We need to exterminate them so that not a single one is left. Only then can there be any peace.
KILEY (voice-over): To help the war effort, she ties burlap in the netting to make sniper camouflage. But it may be her laughter that has kept are going so many years.
[LAUGHTER]
Sam Kiley, CNN, (inaudible) Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Time for a short break here. When we come back scenes of devastation but also signs of hope. A child pulled from the rubble of the earthquake in north Syria.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [03:55:00]
CHURCH: We're continuing to follow the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Rescue teams in both countries are still searching for survivors with more than 4,900 people already reported to dead. Bad weather and snow are making the search more difficult. More than 100 aftershocks have shaken Turkey and Syria since the initial quake. Experts say they'll die down as time passes.
Well, aid groups in Turkey and Syria are getting a better picture now of what survivors need at this time. And you can see these homes in the Turkish city of Hatay, reduced to rubble after the quake. UNICEF says their immediate priority is supporting children and families. It's likely many of them have lost their homes amid the destruction and are left to face freezing temperatures.
The group is working with officials in both countries to coordinate the best response. Amid all the scenes of disaster, there are signs of hope. Rescue workers pulled a toddler unscathed from the wreckage of a collapsed building in Syria early Monday. Her pregnant mother and two siblings were killed. The girl's uncle says her father is alive but may have a broken back.
The family was forced from their home during Syria's civil war and went to live in a town near the Turkish border. Well, for information on how to help the earthquake victims, you can go to CNN.com/impact. And you'll find a list of organizations working on rescue and relief efforts. Again, that is at CNN.com/impact.
And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Do stay with us. Our coverage continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.
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[04:00:00]
