Recent Natural Disasters

Turkey-Syria Earthquake

On February 6, 2023, the East Anatolian Fault caused the deadliest earthquake in recent years. Marking a 7.8 magnitude, the earthquake killed more than 59.000 people and left more than 120.000 people missing.

The United Nations estimated that about 1.5 million people lost their homes to the earthquake. The damage is reported to be 163.6 billion US dollars, creating serious problems for both countries.

Education, healthcare, and every single profession are affected by the victims' psychologies, leading to a long and costly recovery period.

Libya Flood

On 10 September 2023, Cyclone Daniel caused dangerous weather conditions, with a wide domain. The flooding, caused by immense amounts of rain, resulted in the deaths of 4,300 people. More than 8,000 people are reported to be lost, and essential needs of humanity such as food and water are compromised.

On 11 September 2023, two dams collapsed, sending 1 billion cubic feet of water to the flooded areas. ¼ of the Derna city was destroyed, resulting in such trauma that it still takes lives to this day.

Morocco Earthquake

On 8 September 2023, Morocco was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9, dealing an immense amount of damage. Being the largest earthquake in Africa since 2006, the Marrakesh-Safi earthquake resulted in the deaths of at least 2900 people and left many more injured. According to the National Earthquake Information Center, around 19,000 houses collapsed and about 41.000 houses were damaged.

The earthquake left deep scars within the country, as the Red Cross announced the recovery time with the words: “will take months, if not years”. Schools and various landmarks were also destroyed alongside the houses, creating the need for relocation, psychological healthcare, and medical supplies, ultimately leading to a country-wide crisis.

Dadia Forest Fires in Greece

On 27 July 2022, a wildfire started in Evros, Greece. Being one of the greatest wildfires in Europe in recent years, its effects on the ecosystem of the Dadia National Park are highly concerning. Fortunately, the fire was controlled after the efforts of firefighters, keeping the casualties and the damage at a minimum.

Cyclones Idai and Kenneth

In March 2019, Cyclone Idai took the lives of more than 1000 people across various African countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. Its damage resulted in the displacement of millions of people. Nutrition and basic services were all affected. Few landslides were triggered, resulting in even more devastation. Six weeks later, Cyclone Kenneth also swept through already damaged areas and affected areas that were never recorded to host a cyclone before.

Australian Wildfires

At the very beginning of the year 2020, Australia was hit by one of the worst bushfire seasons to be ever recorded. More than 10 million hectares of area were affected with 30 deaths.

The wildfires' effect on nature was undeniably severe with hazardous smoke and intoxicated dirt, ecological balance was disrupted. Thousands of millions of animals were lost creating such a threat that some ecosystems may never recover.

South Asian Floods

In the last year alone, deadly floods resulted in the loss of homes and jobs for 12 million people in South Asia. Monsoon rains caused exceptionally dangerous floods in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal; devastating many lives.

East African Drought

The increase in sea temperatures resulted in an exponentially higher risk of drought in the Horn of Africa. All crops and livestock were affected by the droughts of 2011, 2017, and 2019; nearly coming to a complete wipeout. Many people were left in need of aid. However, the necessary funds weren't met, leaving civilians struggling with shortages.

European Heat Waves

The summer of 2022 was subject to record temperatures, all brought by heat waves. Around 62.000 people were reported to be dead from heat-related causes, making it one of the deadliest meteorological phenomena.

In June of 2022, the first heat wave broke several records in France, with 40-43°C recorded. The second wave hit The United Kingdom of Great Britain which was subject to degrees surpassing 40°C for the first time in the known history.

The heat waves resulted in widespread drought across Europe, putting the cherry on top of all the deaths.