Five billion dollars in Algerian losses due to the earthquake
Algeria, Economics, 6/14/2003

The Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika has estimated the country's material losses resulting from the recent earthquake at 5 billion dollars. The earthquake which hit Algeria on May 21 resulted in killing 2300 persons and more than 10,000 wounded.

Butaflika announced in a speech he delivered in al-Bleida town ( 50 Km ) to the south of Algiers that 50 districts of the country's 1400 districts were damaged by the earthquake which was at 6.87 degree at Richter Scale. He said that normalcy will return back to this areas "at least after two years." Butaflika also estimated at five billion dollars the damage which resulted from the two earthquakes which hit areas in Algeria in October 1994 and December 1999 and Bab al-Wad floods in October 2001.

As for damages resulting from the wave of the drought which has hit the country since several years, Butaflika estimated them at USD 10 billion. Butaflika said that the acts of violence has been invading the country since 1992 caused damages estimated at USD 20 billion.

The Algerian president disclosed that the country's foreign debts are estimated at USD 22 billion and its internal debts at USD 12. 5 billion.

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