Donors participating in a conference organized by the European Union on Monday pledged seven billion euros (7.5 billion dollars) to help rebuild Turkey following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country last month, while Ankara estimated the losses to be more than ten times this figure. The earthquake on February 6 and its aftershocks represented the worst natural disaster to hit Turkey in modern times, claiming the lives of more than 56,000 people in both Turkey and neighboring Syria. The EU and Sweden hosted the conference to rally support.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated, "The total pledges today reached seven billion euros." He added that the funds "will help people whose lives were destroyed in seconds and minutes" and provide hope "that restoring dignity and daily life is possible."
The commitments include a one billion euro contribution from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, with half of it being provided through the European Investment Bank, the EU's lending arm. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that her country will double its aid to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria to 240 million euros.
The Commission will spend an additional 108 million euros on humanitarian aid and early recovery in Syria. There are no diplomatic relations between the EU and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in light of the war that broke out in the country in 2011.
The United Nations Development Programme estimated the "total financial burden of the earthquake disaster" in Turkey to be around 103.6 billion dollars, which it stated is equivalent to up to nine percent of the country's expected GDP in 2023. Program estimates suggest that about 3.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes, with most now living in temporary shelters. The program also noted that there are around 650,000 houses needing reconstruction.
