The European Union (EU) and the international community have pledged nearly 10 trillion won in reconstruction aid to T?rkiye and Syria, which suffered extensive damage from a major earthquake.
On the 20th (local time), the EU Commission announced in a press release after the 'International Donor Conference' held in Brussels, Belgium, that "the participating countries and international organizations have pledged a total of 7 billion euros (approximately 9.9 trillion won) in aid."
The downtown area of Hatay Province in southern Turkey was reduced to ruins on the 7th of last month (local time), the day after the earthquake occurred. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
This includes 1 billion euros and 108 million euros pledged by the EU to T?rkiye and Syria respectively, as well as 500 million euros from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Of the 7 billion euros in aid, 86%, or 6.05 billion euros, will be provided to T?rkiye in the form of loans or grants, while the remaining 950 million euros will be used for humanitarian aid in Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an stated in a video address at the conference that "no country, regardless of its level of economic development, can withstand such a disaster," estimating that 14 billion euros (approximately 145.8 trillion won) will be needed for reconstruction alone.
He also explained the damage, saying that about 298,000 houses across 11 provinces have been completely destroyed or rendered unusable due to the earthquake's impact.
On February 6, powerful earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5 struck southern T?rkiye and northern Syria. The collapse of aging buildings caused by the quake has resulted in an estimated 48,448 deaths in both Syria and T?rkiye to date.
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