The 7.8-magnitude earthquake and several aftershocks that rocked the southern Turkey since February 6 they have caused more than $34 billion in damage, the World Bank (WB) said today in its assessment.

This amount is equivalent to 4% of the country’s GDP in 2021, the World Bank clarifies, noting that this estimate does not take into account reconstruction costs, “potentially double”, nor the consequences for future Turkish development.

THE The World Bank recalls that the aftershocks that continue to occur risk increasing the total amount of damage caused by the disaster. It also does not take into account the damage caused in northern Syria, where the earthquakes also caused thousands of deaths and extensive damage.

The latest 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey’s Malatya province today, causing buildings to collapse, killing one person and injuring dozens.

“This disaster reminds us that Turkey is in an area of ​​high seismic activity and that it is necessary to strengthen the resilience of both private and public infrastructure. The World Bank is committed to supporting Turkish efforts in this direction,” he stressed Hiberto Lopezdirector of the World Bank branch in Turkey.

The foundation also clarifies that assessments of the latest aftershocks are still ongoing.

About 10,000 aftershocks have occurred since February 6 in Turkey, according to the Turkish Disaster Management Agency (AFAD).

In total, the recent earthquakes have killed more than 44,000 people in the south and southeast of the country, according to the latest official count.

The February 6 earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, destroyed or severely damaged more than 170,000 buildings in eleven provinces of the country and also struck the north of neighboring Syria.

The affected Turkish provinces, among the country’s poorest, also hosted more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees, the World Bank said.