ILO calls for new support for job losses after earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Hundreds of thousands of workers in both countries lost their livelihoods due to earthquakes. ILO estimates the impact of a natural disaster on the labor market.
“Employment promotion is central to a successful and comprehensive response to this scourge,” said the ILO Director-General. Gilbert Hongbo. “People can only start rebuilding their lives if they have rebuilt 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 firmly anchored in the recovery and reconstruction process.”
Türkiye: monthly losses exceed $150 million
Earthquakes have left more 658,000 workers cannot earn a livingand more 150,000 idle jobs, initial findings suggest.
In the face of sharp declines in income and jobs, the ILO has warned of rising risks to occupational safety and health, as well as child labour.
Affected workers face an average loss of more than $230 per month in income for as long as the disruptions continue. In general, the crisis is likely reduced house payment To around $150 million per month in affected areas, according to the ILO.
Lost work time spread throughout the affected area. Estimates show that 58.8% of work time is lost in Malatya, with comparable figures of 48.1% in Adiyaman and 45.2% in Hatay.
More than four million people live in the affected provinces of Turkey, most of whom are employed in agriculture, manufacturing, trade or other “low value added” services.
Syria: soaring unemployment
In Syria, where 12 years of civil war have already caused enormous damage to the economy and labor market, the ILO estimates that about 170,000 workers lost their jobs as a result of earthquakes. It directly affected around 154,000 households and over 725,000 people.
Some 35,000 micro, small and medium enterprises were also affected. This temporary layoff Led to total loss of labor income equivalent to at least $5.7 million per month.
the five most affected areas Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Tartus were home to approximately 42.4% of the country’s total population. This includes about 7.1 million working-age people aged 16 and over, 22.8 percent of whom are women.
Help after the earthquake
Immediately after the earthquake, the ILO set to work to meet the emergency needs of workers and their families.
In Turkey: The ILO is already planning and implementing labor market and enterprise recovery strategies.
- Business emergency employment programs involve engaging businesses so they can offer decent and sustainable jobs.
- The ILO helps business organizations and trade unions to function and provide essential services to their members.
- Special initiatives will focus on seasonal agricultural workers, child laborers and refugees.
- Support will be provided to the social partners so that they can continue to participate in recovery and reconstruction initiatives as key actors in the national social dialogue.
In Syria: New and ongoing efforts are reaching out to the population in areas affected by the earthquake.
- A series of training campaigns for engineers aims to improve occupational safety practices.
- The current labor-intensive work covers the affected areas of Aleppo.
- The grants support the ILO’s social partners to help them reach affected workers and businesses and improve occupational safety and health practices.
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