The International Labor Organization has stressed the need for urgent support for Syria and Turkey to improve living standards and prevent a slide into poverty following the devastating earthquakes that hit the two countries last month.
Preliminary results of an assessment report conducted by the organization on the impact of the earthquake on the labor market showed that hundreds of thousands of workers in the two countries lost their livelihoods due to this natural disaster.
And according to the UN Information Office, International Labor Organization Director-General Gilbert Hongbo stressed that promoting employment opportunities is essential to a successful and inclusive earthquake response.
“People can start rebuilding their lives if they rebuild their livelihoods. We owe it to those who have lost so much as a result of the earthquake to ensure that the principles of social justice and decent work are integrated into the process of recovery and reconstruction,” he said.
The International Labor Organization estimates that about 170,000 people lost their jobs due to the earthquake in Syria, and about 35,000 medium, small and micro enterprises were affected.
It also states that the five most affected regions in Syria are Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Tartus, which are home to more than 42% of the Syrian population, including 7.1 million people of working age starting at 16 years of age.
In Turkey, the earthquake left about 660,000 people without a livelihood and more than 150,000 jobs became unusable.
The International Labor Organization has warned of heightened risks to occupational safety and health and child labor, and affected workers in Turkey are facing an average loss of income estimated at more than $230 a month.
Source: Italian agency (Aki).
