.jpeg) |
| A search party member looking for survivors in the rubble caused by earthquake Image: AFP |
Damage from last month's terrible earthquakes in Turkey likely approach $100 billion, according to a UN Development Programme (UNDP) official, ahead of a big donor conference next week.
UNDP's Louisa Vinton said during a news briefing by video link from Gaziantep, a Turkish city that suffered severe damage in the quakes, on Tuesday said "It's clear from the calculations done to date that the damage figure presented by the government and supported by international partners would be in excess of $100 billion."
The February 6 earthquake killed around 52,000 people in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. Several were crushed or buried while sleeping.
The preliminary damage number, which Vinton said solely applies to Turkey, will serve as the foundation for a donor meeting in Brussels on March 16 to gather funds for survivors and restoration.
The World Bank originally assessed direct damage in Turkey at $34.2 billion, but it now says recovery and reconstruction costs would be significantly higher, and economic disruptions induced by the quakes will also add to the cost.
Additionally, Vinton mentioned that the poor level of response to funding applications to date has extremely surprised and grieved the UNDP.
According to her, a $1 billion flash appeal launched on February 16 is already financed at only 9.6 percent of the total.
According to Turkish official data, over two million survivors have been placed in temporary shelters or evacuated from the earthquake-ravaged region.
