Earthquake causes 170,000 Syrians to become jobless – ILO
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – International Labour Organization (ILO) revealed on Tuesday that 170,000 Syrians lost their jobs as a result of the earthquake that struck Syria on February 6 and as a consequence of the major losses in the economy and labor market after a 12 year long conflict.
Maurizio Bussi, an official in ILO, stated in a press briefing that the earthquake has “directly affected around 154,000 households and more than 725,000 people.”
“Around 35,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have also been affected in Syria,” he added.
ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, said in a statement, “Employment promotion is central to a successful and inclusive response to this disaster.”
He added that “people can only begin to rebuild their lives if they have rebuilt their livelihoods. We owe it to those who have lost so much in the earthquake to ensure that the principles of social justice and decent work are firmly embedded in the recovery and reconstruction process.”
The ILO warned about the increased possibility of poverty and child labor amid the absence of urgent and guided assistance.
The earthquake killed over 7,000 people in Syria and devastated much of the country’s northwest. The World Bank estimates that total loss as a consequence of the earthquakes is $5.2 billion, including $3.7 billion in physical damages and $1.5 billion in lost revenue and disrupted supply chains.
On March 3, the World Bank Global Rapid Assessment estimated the direct damage of the Feb. 6 earthquake in Syria at $1.5 billion away from broader economic impacts and losses for the country’s economy.