disasters

Across the world, more incidents of extreme weather events are being recorded.
WMO/Daniel Pavlinovic

Climate and weather related disasters surge five-fold over 50 years, but early warnings save lives - WMO report

1 September 2021
Climate and Environment

Climate change and increasingly extreme weather events, have caused a surge in natural disasters over the past 50 years disproportionately impacting poorer countries, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) said on Wednesday.

Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), attends a focus group discussion with women in Bangladesh.
© UNFPA/Lauren Anders Brown

$683 million appeal to deliver reproductive health services, where they’re most needed

11 February 2020
Women

With more than half of all maternal deaths occurring in countries affected by humanitarian crises and fragility, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling for greater international support to provide life-saving reproductive health and protection services in these locations. 

Destruction caused by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Mexico City on 19 September 2017.
PAHO/WHO

UN stands ready to assist following deadly earthquake in Mexico

20 September 2017
Secretary-General António Guterres voiced sadness at the loss of life and damage resulting from the earthquake that occurred in Mexico today, and expressed the readiness of the United Nations to assist.
Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia.
World Bank/Farhana Asnap

Disaster risk reduction ‘core development priority’ of Asia and the Pacific – UN regional body

30 October 2015
Building resilience in the face of natural disasters is “not a choice, but rather a collective imperative,” the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) declared today, as it called on all government agencies to take on disaster risk reduction as a priority and make it an integral part of sustainable development in the region.
Searching for survivors in the aftermath of the devasting earthquake in China (16 May 2008)

UN-backed forum ends with call to halve deaths from disasters by 2015

19 June 2009
A United Nations-backed disaster risk reduction forum wrapped up in Geneva today with a call to political leaders to take steps to cut in half by 2015 the number of deaths from natural hazards.
Sálvano Briceño

Learn the serious through play: UN launches children’s video game on disaster reduction

1 March 2007
From raging wildfires, devastating floods and towering tsunamis to roaring hurricanes and cataclysmic earthquakes, children can now learn how to respond to and mitigate disasters through a new internet video game launched today by the United Nations, the latest in a series of such UN web tools.
Jan Egeland briefs journlists

UN report spotlights ways to reduce potential devastation of natural disasters

14 July 2004
As the frequency of natural disasters rises, along with the number of people around the world whose lives and homes are at serious risk, the United Nations has launched a report highlighting 100 examples of how people are taking steps to make their communities less vulnerable when a catastrophe strikes.

Millions of natural disaster deaths could be averted by better preparedness – UN

3 February 2004
With billions of people in more than 100 countries facing at least one earthquake, cyclone, flood or drought during their lifetimes, millions of lives could be saved if developing countries did more to anticipate and reduce the risks from natural disasters, according to a new United Nations report.

Costs of natural disasters in 2003 rise nearly 10 per cent – UN report

10 December 2003
Natural disasters, the lion's share of them weather-related catastrophes, cost the world over $60 billion in 2003, up from around $55 billion the year before, and are part of a worrying trend that is being linked with climate change, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said today.

Natural disasters could cost $70 billion this year, UN environment agency says

29 October 2002
The financial toll from natural catastrophes worldwide could top $70 billion by the end of this year, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said today.