Nepal 2015 and UK Extreme Weather Events
Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake shows how geography and poverty create the perfect storm for disaster. With 9,000 deaths and 3 million left homeless, this disaster hit one of the world's poorest countries (GDP ranking 109th out of 193). The mountainous terrain made rescue efforts incredibly difficult, whilst 7,000 destroyed schools meant an entire generation's education was disrupted.
International response was massive - Belgian, French and Israeli field hospitals arrived, plus search and rescue teams from China and India. UNICEF provided 500,000 tents, but even with £87 million in donations, recovery was painfully slow. By 2019, four years later, 700 schools still needed rebuilding.
Even wealthy countries aren't immune to extreme weather events though. The UK's "Beast from the East" in 2018 brought -12°C temperatures and 50cm of snow, affecting 800,000 people. Despite being much less deadly, it still cost £1 billion per day and required military assistance to transport NHS workers to hospitals.
Climate change is making these events more frequent and severe. The 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990, whilst the UK has experienced increasingly extreme storms and flooding. From 38.5°C heatwaves killing 20,000 across Europe to record-breaking rainfall in Lincolnshire, no country is completely safe.
Remember: Even developed countries struggle with extreme weather, but strong emergency services and infrastructure make all the difference in saving lives.