On May 12, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated China’s south-western province of Sichuan leaving millions in urgent need of emergency assistance. The earthquake killed over 80,000 people, injured 374,000 and left 15 million homeless.
The Red Cross response to the earthquake in China was immediate. Thanks to the tireless efforts of 180,000 thousand local volunteers more than one million survivors have received Red Cross relief supplies.In addition to distributing tents, food, water, clothes and medicine, local volunteers were also heavily involved in the rescue and treatment of the injured pulled alive from the rubble.
The Red Cross also sent several psychosocial support teams to the affected area to support the emotional and practical needs of survivors.
In response to the Chinese government’s urgent call for international donors to assist with shelter, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies mobilized and shipped 100,000 tents to the area. Many survivors have now been moved into temporary shelters, but significant numbers in rural areas are still living in tents.
In addition, the Red Cross and Red Crescent deployed three Emergency Response Units to provide clean drinking water and mass sanitation for earthquake survivors in some of the most devastated townships. These played a key part in preventing any serious outbreak of diseases, which is always a serious consider following a disaster of this magnitude.
The Canadian Red Cross has delivered 7,250 urgently-needed tents to survivors and supported the Government of Canada’s deployment of 700 additional tents. In addition, Canadian Red Cross aid worker, Yunhong Zhang, was deployed to lead the International Red Cross response, which has included the mobilization of 100,000 tents.
Showing posts with label Natural Catastrophes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural Catastrophes. Show all posts
~ The 2006 European heat wave ~
The United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany were most affected. In addition Reported deaths reached 1 000 extra deaths in the Netherlands.
More from BBC……….
Temperatures for much of the UK, have been significatly above average recently. It has been the warmest June for thirty years and July has continued the warm trend.
The Met Office have issues a level 3 heatwave warning for England and Wales until Friday 21 July. Remember heat can kill. In the 2003 northwest Europe heatwave 27,000 people died - a stark reminder that it's not a subject to be taken lightly.
Blizzards in Europe!!
Extract from an article dated December 28, 2005.....
Chaos …
Snowstorms caused hundreds of train cancellations in Britain and flight disruptions in Germany, Sweden and Portugal, as well as bringing road chaos to Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Worst hit was north-eastern France, where 5000 to 10,000 people spent a chilly night behind the wheel after traffic ground to a halt on a stretch of motorway between the towns of Toul and Nancy, regional authorities said.
In Turkey, temperatures plummeted overnight to minus 31 degrees in the eastern mountain area of Agri.
More than 1000 villages remained cut off by deep snow that blocked access to about 3300 hamlets earlier that week.
Chaos …
Snowstorms caused hundreds of train cancellations in Britain and flight disruptions in Germany, Sweden and Portugal, as well as bringing road chaos to Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Worst hit was north-eastern France, where 5000 to 10,000 people spent a chilly night behind the wheel after traffic ground to a halt on a stretch of motorway between the towns of Toul and Nancy, regional authorities said.
In Turkey, temperatures plummeted overnight to minus 31 degrees in the eastern mountain area of Agri.
More than 1000 villages remained cut off by deep snow that blocked access to about 3300 hamlets earlier that week.
Munich Re is worried =(
Munich Re, the world’s second-largest reinsurance group, joined calls on the world’s politicians and governments to take measures to combat climate change as it reported that the cost of natural disasters had doubled this year to just under $30 billion (£15 billion).
There were 950 natural catastrophes this year, the highest since Munich Re began to keep records in 1974. Despite a total economic loss of $75 billion, the disasters still caused far less damage than 2006, when the combined effects of severe hurricanes, such as Rita and Katrina, caused losses estimated at a record $220 billion, with almost $100 billion of that paid out by insurers.
In Europe, Storm Kyrill caused the greatest chaos, bringing windspeeds of up to 200 km/hour in January, reaching from the mid-Atlantic as far east as Poland and Austria. Kyrill caused about $10 billion of economic damage, according to Munich Re.
Kyrill caused widespread damage across Western Europe, especially in the United Kingdom and Germany. 47 fatalities have been reported as of January 19 as well as extensive disruptions of public transport, power outages to over one hundred thousand homes, severe damages to public and private buildings and major forest damage through windthrow.
Dr Jeworrek, a member of the board at Munich Re gave warning that weather-related losses would rise, pushing up premium costs and acting as a drain on government spending on infrastructure.
There were 950 natural catastrophes this year, the highest since Munich Re began to keep records in 1974. Despite a total economic loss of $75 billion, the disasters still caused far less damage than 2006, when the combined effects of severe hurricanes, such as Rita and Katrina, caused losses estimated at a record $220 billion, with almost $100 billion of that paid out by insurers.
In Europe, Storm Kyrill caused the greatest chaos, bringing windspeeds of up to 200 km/hour in January, reaching from the mid-Atlantic as far east as Poland and Austria. Kyrill caused about $10 billion of economic damage, according to Munich Re.
Kyrill caused widespread damage across Western Europe, especially in the United Kingdom and Germany. 47 fatalities have been reported as of January 19 as well as extensive disruptions of public transport, power outages to over one hundred thousand homes, severe damages to public and private buildings and major forest damage through windthrow.
Dr Jeworrek, a member of the board at Munich Re gave warning that weather-related losses would rise, pushing up premium costs and acting as a drain on government spending on infrastructure.
Mediterranean would soon be able to form its own Hurricane!!
Studies have shown that the Mediterranean could start generating its own hurricanes if sea temperatures keep rising.
“We have detected for the first time a risk of tropical cyclone [hurricane] development over the Mediterranean based on anthropogenic [man-made] climate change,” said Miguel Gaertner, lead researcher at the environ-mental sciences faculty of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo, Spain
He added: “The scientific record shows global warming is raising sea-surface temperatures. Observation and theory suggest that hurricanes are becoming more intense as the earth warms.”
Moreover, scientists agree, the surface layers of the Atlantic and Mediterranean have warmed by about 0.6C, with most of that change happening since 1970. Some predict a further 2C-3C warming by 2050.
“We have detected for the first time a risk of tropical cyclone [hurricane] development over the Mediterranean based on anthropogenic [man-made] climate change,” said Miguel Gaertner, lead researcher at the environ-mental sciences faculty of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo, Spain
He added: “The scientific record shows global warming is raising sea-surface temperatures. Observation and theory suggest that hurricanes are becoming more intense as the earth warms.”
Moreover, scientists agree, the surface layers of the Atlantic and Mediterranean have warmed by about 0.6C, with most of that change happening since 1970. Some predict a further 2C-3C warming by 2050.
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