The earthquake of February 6 in Turkey and its aftershocks caused more than 34 billion dollars (more than 32 billion euros) in damage, the World Bank reported on Monday.
This amount equates to 4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, the institution said in a statement, adding that the estimate does not take into account reconstruction costs, “potentially twice as high”, nor the consequences in Turkish growth.
The World Bank (WB) reminds that the aftershocks that are still being recorded could increase the total damage caused by the disaster. The extent of the damage in northern Syria, a region also affected by the earthquakes, was also not taken into account.
“This disaster reminds us that Turkey is in an area of strong seismic activity and that it is necessary to strengthen the resilience of both private and public infrastructure. The World Bank is committed to supporting Turkey’s efforts in this area “said the country’s BM director, Humberto Lopez, quoted in the statement.
The setting indicates that estimates of the latest replicas are still being made. About 10,000 aftershocks have been recorded in Turkey since February 6, according to the public disaster management agency.
According to the latest official balance, the earthquakes in the south and southeast of the country have claimed more than 44,000 lives. The February 6 earthquake destroyed or severely damaged more than 170,000 buildings.
The affected Turkish provinces, which are among the poorest in the country, hosted more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees, the World Bank explains.
Source: DN
