World Bank: Quake caused damage worth US$5.1 billion in Syria

BEIRUT –

The World Bank mentioned Friday that Syria sustained an estimated US$5.1 billion in damages in final month’s huge earthquake that struck southeast Turkey and northern components of the war-torn nation.

The quake killed no less than 50,000 folks, together with about 6,000 in Syria, in keeping with the United Nations. Tens of 1000’s are nonetheless lacking and a whole lot of 1000’s have been left homeless.

In a report launched Friday, the World Bank says the extent of the harm in Syria is about 10 per cent of the nation’s gross home product.

Syria’s northern province of Aleppo was essentially the most severely hit area, accounting for 45 per cent of the full damages in Syria and amounting to about US$2.3 billion in damages. Also badly hit was the rebel-held area within the northwest, residence to some 4.6 million folks, lots of them beforehand displaced by Syria’s struggle.

Aleppo was adopted by the northwestern province of Idlib, with estimated damages of US$1.9 billion and Latakia, government-controlled territory on the coast, with US$549 million.

The earthquake has additionally compounded myriad different troubles in Syria, the place the practically 12-year civil struggle has killed practically half 1,000,000 folks and displaced half the nation’s pre-war inhabitants of 23 million.

The World Bank cautioned that there’s nonetheless a big diploma of uncertainty round its preliminary evaluation.

“The disaster will cause a decline in economic activity that will further weigh on Syria’s growth prospects,” mentioned Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank head for the Middle East.

The damages assessed within the report embrace each within the residential and nonresidential sectors, equivalent to direct damages to buildings and constructions, in addition to harm to cultural heritage websites, which is very difficult to qualify.

In an earlier evaluation report, the World Bank mentioned on Monday that the damages in Turkey from final month’s earthquake are estimated at US$34.2 billion.