Turkey’s post-quake recovery will cost over $100bn, says UN

Geneva, Mar 7 (EFE).- Rebuilding areas in Turkey struck by devastating twin earthquakes last month will cost more than $100 billion, the United Nations said Tuesday.

Those estimates, based on a joint assessment by the UN, the World Bank, the European Union and the Turkish government, do not include funds needed to reconstruct towns in northern Syria that were also affected by the tremors.

Louisa Vinton of the UN Development Programme said the powerful quakes had destroyed at least 214,000 buildings in the 10 most affected Turkish provinces and left 46,000 people dead and another 2.7 million displaced.

Only 9.6% of the $1 billion pledged has reached the country so far, hampering the Turkish government’s reconstruction plans, according to Vinton.

Countries across the world are set to try to raise the necessary $100 billion during a donors’ conference scheduled in Brussels on March 16.

Vinton stressed that providing basic services for displaced people and reconstructing destroyed cultural heritage sites were among the most pressing needs. EFE

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