SA responders fly out to quake-hit Turkey, Syria
Emergency responders from South Africa have put their hands up to assist in earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria.
They are being sent as part of efforts to help find survivors still trapped in the rubble.
The death toll from Monday's catastrophic earthquake and multiple tremors has climbed to almost 8 000 by Wednesday morning.
Search and rescue units have teamed up with humanitarian group, the Gift of the Givers.
More than 20 teams flew out of the country on Tuesday evening after a pre-deployment briefing with Turkey's ambassador to South Africa in Johannesburg.
Medi Responses's Paul Herbst says rescuers have their work cut out for them as it's bitterly cold in Turkey.
Temperatures have plunged to minus five-degrees Celcius and it's snowing.
"We wish our members luck and strength and we trust that their presence will offer some form of relief to those affected.
"Our thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria."
One woman in the city of Osmaniye said she doesn't think enough is being done.
"Yesterday the governor came here but he does nothing, there are young children in this building but they do nothing."
Many in Syria fear aid won't reach those in government-controlled parts of their country.
"We need heavy equipment, ambulances, fire fighting vehicles," said one man, who is with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
"We don't have firefighting vehicles to put out fires, we don't have heavy equipment to conduct rescue operations. There are a lot of issues surfacing now due to the sanctions."
