Quakes caused $5.2B damage in Syria: World Bank
A damaged mosque is seen in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in opposition-held al-Maland village, Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 24, 2023. (Reuters File Photo)


The Feb. 6 earthquakes caused over $5.2 billion in damage to Syria, leading to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) output to shrink by 5.5% this year, the World Bank said Monday.

Syria's economy is expected to contract 2.3% more than it otherwise would have due to the impact of last month's deadly earthquakes, the World Bank said on Monday.

The earthquake and its aftershocks killed more than 50,000 people in Türkiye and Syria, and displaced millions more.

"The recent earthquake exacerbates the already dire consequences of the 12 year-long conflict for the people of Syria," World Bank Country Director for the Middle East Department Jean-Christophe Carret said.

It's expected to cost the Syrian economy $5.2 billion, including physical damages of $3.7 billion and losses of $1.5 billion, the bank announced in a statement. Recovery and reconstruction costs will approach $8 billion over three years, the bank predicted.

The earthquake's impact is likely to widen Syria's economic contraction by 2.3% to 5.5% this year, according to the bank. The country's economy is still under severe strain more than 13 years after the deadly civil war began.

The bank previously estimated the hit to Türkiye's economy from the earthquake would top $34 billion, equivalent to 4% of the country's 2021 GDP.

The worst-hit sectors in Syria include housing, followed by transport, environment and agriculture, according to the bank's Syria Earthquake 2023 Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment.

Aleppo was the worst-affected city, followed by Latakia and Azaz.