People line up at bakeries to buy bread amid food shortages in southern Turkey.

(Associated Press)

(Central News Agency) Yesterday's powerful earthquake in Sanliurfa in southern Turkey brought havoc, death and destruction, and now survivors face another invisible but equally powerful threat: hunger.

As the sun lit up the sky early this morning, the ruined streets of Sanliurfa looked deserted, Agence France-Presse reported.

The number on the thermometer was just above freezing, but it felt much colder.

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Just like the other nine provinces that were hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake yesterday and numerous horrific aftershocks, the survivors of Sanliurfa are now most concerned about how they will survive.

Dozens of families took temporary shelter on the first floor of the local Hilton hotel.

Between last night and this morning, most parents huddled with their children couldn't close their eyes at all.

"We came here at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon and the restaurant gave us some soup in the evening, but after the night we were hungry again and so were the children," said father Imam Caglar, 42.

"The bakery will not be open today, I don't know where to find bread," said Challal, who has three children.

For him, returning to his home a few streets away to get food was an impossible task, as the building was already crumbling and could suddenly collapse.

"We lived on the second floor of a three-story apartment building, and we were afraid to go home. That apartment building was not safe at all," he shook his head.

Authorities are currently trying to resettle people who have been made homeless by collapsed houses or by frequent aftershocks.

Hundreds of thousands of people are staying overnight in dormitories, schools, mosques and other public buildings, many in hotels that are open to the public.

The winter storm has already made local roads almost impassable, some roads were severely damaged by the earthquake, and the airport was closed due to runway repairs. Providing food and other basic aid to the victims has become a major challenge.