The report says earthquakes could lead to a loss of up to 1% of Turkey’s GDP in 2023

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Issued on: 16/02/2023 – 07:40 Modified: 16/02/2023 – 11:30

An economic report published on Thursday said the February 6 earthquakes that killed more than 40,000 people in Turkey and Syria could lead to a loss of up to 1% of Turkey’s GDP. This came amid uncertainty over a possible postponement of the general elections scheduled for June due to the devastating earthquakes. Read our live blog to see how the day’s events are going. All times are in Paris time (GMT+1).

This live page is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage of the Turkey and Syria earthquake, click here.

4:51 pm: The United Nations launches a $1 billion appeal for Turkey earthquake victims

On Thursday, the United Nations launched an appeal for $1 billion in aid to help the victims of the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey last week and claimed thousands of lives.

The international organization said in a statement that the money would provide three months of humanitarian relief to 5.2 million people, allowing aid organizations to “rapidly scale up vital support.”

11:15 am: Teen rescued from rubble in Turkey 248 hours after quake: Media reports

On Thursday, a 17-year-old woman was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in the south-central province of Kahramanmaras, 248 hours after the massive earthquake hit the region, according to Turkish media reports.

State broadcaster TRT Haber reported on the rescue on Thursday.

8:30 a.m.: Concerns about waterborne diseases are mounting in quake-hit areas

The focus has shifted to supporting earthquake survivors in southern Turkey. With much of the region’s sanitation infrastructure damaged or disrupted by earthquakes, health authorities face the daunting task of addressing public health issues.

Jasper Mortimer, from Adana, said that the water pipes in the city “have been damaged, and this means that the water has been contaminated and tested positive for bacteria. This means that there is a risk of waterborne diseases, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, hepatitis. Even cholera… There are people who haven’t showered in nine days, and that’s since the earthquake.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that it is particularly concerned about the situation in rebel-held northwest Syria. And it asked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to open more border crossings with Turkey to allow the passage of aid.

Batyr Berdyklychev, WHO representative in Turkey, warned that water shortages in earthquake-stricken areas “increase the risk of waterborne diseases and outbreaks of communicable diseases.”

00:55 7:00 am: Earthquake could lead to loss of up to 1% of Turkey’s GDP in 2023

The potential economic impacts of the earthquake in Turkey could lead to a loss of up to 1% of the country’s GDP this year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said in a report published on Thursday. The country is already experiencing an economic crisis.

The bank added that this is a “reasonable estimate” due to the expected boost from reconstruction efforts later this year, which will offset the negative impact on infrastructure and supply chains. “The earthquake largely affected agricultural areas and areas where there is light industrialization, so its repercussions on other sectors are limited,” Beata Javorcik, chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, told Reuters.

Growth in Turkey, the largest recipient of EBRD funds, was revised to 3% from 3.5% in 2023, without considering the impact of the earthquake in the estimates.

10:35 pm: Blinken pledges earthquake support on Turkey visit

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to travel to Turkey to discuss earthquake relief, his first trip to the NATO ally with which Washington has troubled relations.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken would visit Incirlik Air Base, through which the US has shipped aid, and then hold talks in the capital, Ankara, about “continued US support.”

The United States sent about 200 rescuers and contributed an initial $85 million in relief for Turkey, and deployed Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters to ferry supplies to the hardest hit areas.

The visit, which was planned before the Feb. 6 earthquake that killed nearly 40,000 people in the country and neighboring Syria, will be Blinken’s first to Turkey after more than two years in office.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, The Associated Press and Reuters)

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