UN: Earthquake damage in Turkey set to exceed $100 billion

UN: Earthquake damage in Turkey set to exceed $100 billion
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The figure is being used as a basis for a donor conference to mobilize funds for Turkey and Syria's earthquake victims, UNDP's Louisa Vinton has said.

Damage caused by the twin earthquakes on 6 February in Turkey will be over $100 billion, a United Nations Development Program official told a press briefing on Tuesday.

"It's clear from the calculations being done to date that the damage figure presented by the government and supported by international partners would be in excess of $100 billion," said the UNDP's Louisa Vinton, by video link from Turkey's quake hit city of Antep.

She said the provisional figure is being used as a basis for a donor conference to mobilize funds for Turkey and Syria's earthquake victims in Brussels, Belgium on March 16.

Turkey's minister of environment and urbanization said on Tuesday that according to latest assessments, over 232,000 building in the earthquake zone are either severely damaged or need to be urgently pulled down.

Noting that 1.7 million buildings with 5.7 million residence units have been inspected, Kurum said that the government will respond by rapidly launching projects for the construction of new residences.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erogan updated late Monday the fatalities in Turkey as 46,104.