UNISDR Finally Catches On!

Nine out of ten disasters weather-related: UNISDR

According to a new report issued today by the UN, “The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters,” between 1995 and 2015, about 90% of all major disasters were caused by floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts and other weather-related events.

Over the past 20 years, some 6,457 recorded weather-related disasters have killed 606,000 people, left 4.1 billion others injured, homeless or in need of aid.

The five countries that experienced the highest number of disasters were the United States (472), China (441), India (288), Philippines (274), and Indonesia, (163).

Economic losses from weather-related disasters are much higher than the previously reported figure of US$1.891 trillion, which accounts for 71% of all losses attributed to “natural disasters” over the twenty-year period, says the report. “Only 35% of records include information about economic losses. UNISDR estimates that the true figure on disaster losses – including earthquakes and tsunamis – is between US$250 billion and US$300 billion annually.”

Key Details of the Report

• Asia experienced the largest share of disaster impacts including 332,000 deaths and 3.7 billion people affected. The death toll included 138,000 deaths caused by Cyclone NARGIS (Myanmar, 2008).

• An average of 335 weather-related disasters were recorded per year between 2005 and 2014, an increase of 14% from 1995-2004, and almost twice the level recorded during 1985-1995.

• Some  87 million homes were damaged or destroyed over the survey period (CRED’s Emergency Events Data Base, or EM-DAT).

• Floods, affecting 2.3 billion people and killing 157,000 souls accounted for 47% of all weather-related disasters. Storms were the deadliest type of weather-related disaster, accounting for 242,000 deaths or 40% of the global weather-related deaths, with 89% of these deaths occurring in lower-income countries.

• Heatwaves accounted for 148,000 of the 164,000 lives lost due to extreme temperatures. 92% of heatwave deaths occurred in high-income countries, with Europe accounting for 90%.

• Drought affected Africa most, with 136 events recorded, including 77 droughts in East Africa alone.

Release Date: 23 Nov 2015

Source: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Download the report

Yemen Faces Collapse!

Saudi state terrorism leaves 21.2 million Yemenis—82% of population—in need of humanitarian assistance 

Millions of Yemenis require assistance to ensure their basic survival, reported UN OHCHR.

Between mid-March, when fighting escalated, and  the second week of October, health facilities had reported 32,307 casualties (including 5,604 deaths), or an average of 153 injuries or deaths each and every day.

• 21.2 million, or 82% of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• 14.4 million are food insecure (including 7.6 million severely food insecure).
• 3 million people now require treatment or preventive services for malnutrition.
• 2 million are currently acutely malnourished, including 1.3 million children – 320,000 of whom are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

“More than seven months of conflict have severely exacerbated Yemen’s prior large-scale humanitarian emergency. Partners currently estimate that 21.2 million people require assistance – an increase of one-third since the crisis began in mid-March 2015. Major increases in need have occurred since the June 2015 Humanitarian Needs Overview in key sectors, including food security, nutrition and shelter. Displacement and human rights violations have also risen considerably.”

• 19.3 million lack adequate access to clean water or sanitation
• 14.1 million people lack sufficient access to healthcare
• 1.8 million children have been out of school since mid-March.
• Solid waste removal has come to a halt in several areas.
• Three in four Yemenis are unable to meet their basic wash needs.

Public services are rapidly failing “due to direct impact of conflict and insufficient resources to pay salaries or maintain services,” said the report.

“As of mid-October, 69 health facilities had been reported partially or substantially damaged, 27 ambulances hijacked, eight health workers killed and 20 injured.”

“Since 26 March, health facilities have reported more than 32,200 casualties – many of them civilians. In the same period, has verified 8,875 reports of human rights violations – an average of 43 violations every day. Verified incidents of child death or injury from March to September are almost five times higher than 2014 totals.”

Displacement

About 2.3 million are currently displaced within Yemen and 121,000 others have fled the country.

“Displacement has contributed to rises in needs across sectors – particularly shelter and NFIs, for which about 2.8 million IDPs and host community members currently require support.”

‘Tourism in New Zealand 2,500 x Deadlier than Terrorism in France’

‘7 killed in the latest episode of NZ air disasters’

“More than 3,400 overseas visitors, international students,  foreign workers and recent emigrants have lost their lives and about 18,000 others seriously injured in New Zealand since year 2000.”

“In the latest disaster that occurred in Fox Glacier on Saturday seven people were killed including six tourists, four British and two Australians, and the [Dutch?] pilot named as Mitch [van] Gameren, 28.” More…

Re-blogged courtesy of Apartheid NZ

The following statistics were sent by a reader:

Tourists more likely to be killed by terrorists in France, or while visiting New Zealand?

The following statistics cover the period between January 2000 and November 13, 2015.

Terrorist Attacks in France

Some 17 acts of terrorism have occurred in Paris between the year 2000 and November 13, 2015 including shooting, bombing, stabbing, vehicle ramming and suicide bombing, claiming the lives of 163 people (terrorist casualties not included), and leaving 440 others injured.

• According to the best data available, 42 of the victims were foreign nationals, or French citizens with dual nationalities.

No. of Foreigners Visiting France v. New Zealand

Based on figures released by the World Bank, and other sources, about 1.25 billion [1,254 million] foreigners visited France during that period.

During the same period, about 40.8 million [40,795,000] foreigners visited New Zealand, according to the World Bank and Statistics NZ (see links below).

Killed in New Zealand

Figures published by newzeelend.wordpress.com (this blog) show that: “More than 3,400 overseas visitors, international students, foreign workers and recent emigrants have lost their lives and about 18,000 others seriously injured in New Zealand since year 2000.”

[Alternately, other credible statistics may be submitted to the blog for consideration, or plugged into the following equations.]

• Probability of a foreigner being killed while visiting New Zealand: 3,400/40,795,000 (8.33e-5) or about 1 in 10,000

• Probability of a foreigner being killed in France from acts of terrorism: 42/1.25 billion or about 1 in 30 million (3.35e-8)

Killed in New Zealand from Tourism/Killed in France from Terrorism = (8.334e-5)/ (3.35e-8) = 2,488.4

Conclusion:

Foreign visitors are about 2,500 times more likely to be killed violently while visiting New Zealand (air and road crashes, adventure tourism…), than being killed in France by the terrorists.

Links to data sources used for this post:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_France
• http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?page=1
• http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/Migration/international-visitor-arrivals-sep-15.aspx
• https://newzeelend.wordpress.com/2015/11/22/victims-of-fox-glacier-helicopter-crash-identified/

Related Links

• Victims of Fox Glacier helicopter crash identified Posted by te2ataria on November 22, 2015
• Long legacy of air disasters in New Zealand Posted by te2ataria on November 21, 2015
• ‘Four Britons and two Australians’ among 7 killed in NZ chopper crash Posted by te2ataria on November 21, 2015
• Proudly Killed in New Zealand  list of some of the tourists killed in NZ