The 7.8 magnitude earthquake and its many aftershocks that have rocked southern Turkey since February 6 have caused more than $34 billion in damage to the city, the World Bank (WB) estimated on Monday.
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This sum corresponds to 4% of the country’s GDP in 2021, specifies the institution, which also adds that the estimate does not take into account the reconstruction costs “potentially twice as high” according to the press release, nor the consequences for the future Turkish growth.
The World Bank recalls that the aftershocks that continue to be recorded risk increasing the overall damage caused by the disaster. The damage in northern Syria, which was also particularly affected by the earthquake, is also not taken into account.
The latest occurred in Malatya province on Sunday night and left one person dead and dozens injured.
“This disaster reminds us that Turkey is in an area of high seismic activity and that the resilience of both private and public infrastructure needs to be strengthened. The World Bank is committed to supporting Turkey’s efforts in this direction,” said WB Director in the country Humberto Lopez, quoted in the press release.
The institution also states that estimates of the latest aftershocks are still ongoing.
Around 10,000 aftershocks have occurred in Turkey since February 6, according to the Turkish State Disaster Management Agency (Afad).
Overall, more than 44,000 people have died in recent earthquakes in the south and south-east of the country, according to the latest official report.
The February 6 earthquake, measuring 7.8 magnitude, destroyed or severely damaged more than 170,000 buildings in 11 provinces of the country, also affecting northern neighboring Syria.
The affected Turkish provinces, which are among the poorest in the country, were also home to more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees, according to the WB.