Earthquake impact on Turkish economy larger than expected – UN

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – According to Reuters, the UN Development Programme announced today on Tuesday that the damage to the economy caused by the February 6 earthquakes would likely exceed $100 billion.

Previous calculations by the World Bank put the damage at around $34.2 billion. Either figures would likely have a major impact on the Turkish economy and its people, who are already experiencing a dramatic currency devaluation.

More than 52.000 people were killed and millions were left homeless by the February 6 earthquake in Turkey. The economic fallout will impact this population particularly hard.

Previously, the World Bank estimated that the damage in Syria lay at around $5.1 billion. However, much of Syria’s northwest already lay in shatters before earthquake, having gone through 12 years of war.

Reporting by Sasha Hoffman