Hopes were fading last night of finding more survivors of Turkey's second big earthquake in three months, which struck last week.
The official death toll from Friday's disaster rose above 450, but hundreds more are presumed buried beneath the rubble.
President Clinton, on a state visit to Turkey, pledged $1 billion in loans to help the Turks recover. He promised that the US would stand with Turkey in its hour of need.
At Turkey's presidential palace in Ankara, Mr Clinton said: "The recent earthquakes have humbled us, reminding us that for all of the advances and our capacity to shape the future, there is much in life that lies utterly beyond our control."
That is certainly the feeling among survivors in the earthquake zone, where freezing night temperatures and forecasts of heavy rain are making conditions even more difficult. There is an urgent need for high-quality winter tents to provide better shelter. Doctors say the young and the elderly are at great risk.
As more funerals were held for the dead, 2,000 body bags have been sent to the worst-affected area, around the town of Duzce.
Teams of experts from 23 countries scoured collapsed buildings, using sophisticated listening equipment to detect any signs of life.
Food and medicines are available for the survivors, but unrest is beginning to spread about the lack of shelter. "It's impossible to get supplies," said one man, who has assembled his own makeshift tent to house a family of seven.
Nevertheless, the authorities have responded much more quickly than after the earthquake in August. Officials insist the latest disaster will not disrupt plans for Mr Clinton's visit, or for the summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Istanbul at the end of the week.
In an address to the national parliament, Mr Clinton stressed the importance which Washington attaches to Turkey as a force for stability in a difficult region. It borders three trouble spots: the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans.
He again called on the EU to act on Turkey's long-standing application for membership.