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UN says Turkey's earthquake damage exceeds $100 billion

The United Nations has recently announced that the costs of damages caused by the earthquake that hit Turkey in early February are estimated to surpass the $100 billion mark.

UN says Turkey's earthquake damage exceeds $100 billion
UN says Turkey's earthquake damage exceeds $100 billion 

A UN Development Program (UNDP) official said Tuesday that the damages resulting from the devastating earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria in early February will exceed $100 billion.

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Louisa Vinton of the UNDP further added that recovery costs could "be on top of that" while talking to reporters in a video call from Gaziantep in Turkey.

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The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6 has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people in both countries.

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'Vast needs but scarce resources'

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Last week, the World Bank calculated the damage to be at around $ 34.2 million for Turkey with recovery costs to account for double the amount.

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However, Vinton said that the Turkish government, with the help from the UNDP, World Bank, and the EU, estimated the costs would be far higher.

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She also expressed that the UNDP was "very disappointed and saddened" by the low-level response to the funding pleas.

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She said that hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed, images of which are "apocalyptic."

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"The needs are vast but the resources are scarce," she further added.

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Vinton's press briefing comes ahead of a major donor conference that aims to raise funds for the earthquake victims. That conference is to be held in Brussels next week.

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