Earthquake caused direct damage of $5.1bil. in Syria: World Bank

• Published date: 04 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

A massive earthquake and aftershocks in February caused an estimated $5.1 billion in direct physical damage in Syria, the World Bank said Friday.

The earthquake that struck on February 6 hit Turkey and Syria, devastating scores of cities and killing more than 50,000 people in both countries.

Millions have been left needing urgent help with accommodation and medical care.

"The current value of the damaged and destroyed capital stock is estimated at about 10 percent of GDP," said the World Bank in its latest estimate.

"The widespread damages impacted four governorates, where around 10 million of Syria's population resides," the report said.

The development lender added that its report does not cover broader economic impacts and losses for Syria, such as production or business interruption.

The most severely-hit governorate was Aleppo, with 45 percent of the estimated damages. This was followed by Idlib and Lattakia.

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