After two highly effective earthquakes that struck Türkiye on Feb. 6 turned cities into rubble alongside a 500-kilometer (311-mile) diameter, “now is the time for the world to come to Türkiye’s aid,” the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Türkiye consultant mentioned Monday.
“The scale of destruction is hard to comprehend. The affected region is as big in area as Austria or Portugal, housing a population of more than 15 million people (16.4% of the country’s total population),” Louisa Vinton mentioned in a written assertion to Anadolu.
“An estimated 2.3 million people are currently living in tents and containers in the region, while millions more are believed to have left the earthquake zone for shelter outside,” Vinton added.
She famous that the Turkish authorities has dedicated enormous sources to assist these affected and has introduced bold plans not just for non permanent shelters but additionally for full reconstruction.
The world has additionally raced to assist the response, with 88 nations dispatching greater than 11,000 personnel to assist search and rescue efforts and supply emergency medical help, she mentioned.
Meanwhile, the UN system has additionally mobilized its full sources. UN companies are supporting the emergency response, with 6 million scorching meals delivered to date together with tents, heat clothes, and hygiene provides, in addition to “early recovery” efforts geared toward getting life again to regular for affected folks as quickly as potential.
‘NEEDS ARE VAST AND URGENT’
Recalling the flash enchantment of $1 billion that was launched for Türkiye on Feb. 16, Vinton mentioned that to date, $167.4 million (16.6%) has been collected, and “though a small share of what was requested, this is still a sizable amount.”
“Will this be enough? Not by a long shot, it seems, especially when the costs of recovery and reconstruction are taken into account,” she warned, including a preliminary evaluation of the monetary influence of the earthquakes ready by the federal government of Türkiye with assist from the UNDP and different UN companies working along with the World Bank and the European Union places the price of reconstruction at $103.6 billion.
According to a report by the Türkiye Earthquakes Recovery and Reconstruction Assessment (TERRA), printed on March 17, the estimated value of the destroyed housing alone is $66.2 billion.
Infrastructure and utilities would require an estimated value of $10.2 billion, schooling $6.7 billion, healthcare $5.6 billion, and different bills $14.9 billion.
“This vast amount is an accurate reflection of the dramatic scale of the destruction that Türkiye has experienced,” she mentioned. “Equivalent to 9% of Turkish GDP, it also suggests that even a country as economically resilient as Türkiye will struggle to afford the cost of reconstruction on its own.”
She pressured that closing the hole between wants and means will thus rely “heavily on international solidarity and generosity.”
“As the TERRA (report) shows, the needs are vast and urgent, now is the time for the world to come to Türkiye’s aid,” Vinton mentioned.
She mentioned these numbers from the report might be introduced at a donor convention which might be attended by 500 world leaders in Brussels later within the day.
“The world’s leading economies will have a chance to stand with Türkiye at a time of utmost need by pledging sufficient financial support,” she mentioned.
“What donors need to remember as they formulate their pledges is that this is an opportunity to reciprocate the unparalleled generosity that Türkiye has shown over the past decade, in providing a safe haven to the world’s largest refugee population,” she mentioned, including that Syrians accounted for 13.7% of the earthquake victims within the nation.
Recalling UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres‘ remarks on Feb. 9 that “a center of solidarity is now an epicenter of suffering,” she mentioned “the international community needs to show the people of Türkiye the same kind of support and generosity they have shown in receiving, protecting and assisting millions of refugees and displaced people.”
More than 49,500 folks had been killed in Türkiye by magnitude 7.7 and seven.6 quakes that hit on Feb. 6, based on officers.
Over 13.5 million folks have been affected in Türkiye by the large quakes which struck the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, and Elazığ.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
