Hundreds of thousands of people were gripped by cold, hunger, and despair after being left homeless from the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this week, as the death toll surpassed 20,000 on Thursday.

Despite sporadic rescue stories since Monday’s seismic tremors, hopes were fading that many more would be found alive in the ruined cities, parking gloomy memories of when 17,000 people died in 1999 when a similar quake hit northwest Turkey. 

After days of simmering anger over the slow delivery of aid and delays in getting the rescue effort underway, the first United Nations convoy carrying aid to stricken Syrians crossed the border from Turkey. Hundreds of thousands of people across the neighboring countries have been left homeless in the middle of winter – with many camping out in makeshift shelters amid the ruins, often desperate for food, water, and heat.