An Irish aid agency has confirmed the deaths of 27 members of staff in the Turkey and Syria earthquakes.
Goal, which delivers programmes in emergency response, said its teams are still working to account for a number of staff, while also supporting the search and rescue mission.
Twenty-six of those killed were Syrian and one was Turkish.
More than 20,000 people - around 17,600 in Turkey and 3,300 in civil war-torn Syria - have so far died following the earthquakes, which struck in the early hours of Monday.
Officials said the disaster caused human and material losses in 10 provinces, affecting more than 13 million people.
Siobhán Walsh, CEO of Goal, said: "To say it has been a profoundly difficult week for the Goal teams in Turkey and Syria cannot be overstated.
"Because of the sheer geography of destruction, and Goal's long-term presence in the communities so severely impacted, the scale of loss is far beyond anything we could have ever imagined," she said.
"Goal staff across the region have also lost family members, sustained life-altering injuries and lost their homes.
"Teams in Turkey and Syria have mobilised responses to assess needs on the ground, whilst prioritising the immediate restarting of key humanitarian aid programmes that deliver shelter, access to food, clean water and health and social support."
Ms Walsh added: "Never in the organisation’s history has Goal experienced the loss of colleagues on such a scale".
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin expressed his condolences on the losses.
"The Goal staff members who lost their lives were carrying out vital humanitarian work to support the people of north-west Syria, who have suffered unimaginably over recent years," he said.
"Humanitarian workers put their own lives at risk to support the most vulnerable people in the world. Too often, they pay the ultimate price.
"I want to offer my sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, as well as to all the Goal teams around the world, for whom this will come as a devastating blow."
“The staff members who died dedicated their lives to supporting people in need of humanitarian care. Each of them leaves a legacy of kindness, compassion and humanity".
