A natural disaster is the consequence of the natural hazard (e.g. an earthquake, tsunami, typhoon ). In a natural disaster usually peoples lives are lost, buildings are destroyed and money is wasted to rebuild after. Sometimes the disasters take away a lot and sometimes not as much. A natural disaster has got nothing to do with a human disaster as a natural disaster is caused by the nature.

Two major disasters have happened in the last two years one of them is hurricane Katrina which happened in the United States, Louisiana, Mississippi on the year 2005, this disaster took more than 1836 people.

Another disaster that has occurred in the past two years is the Kashmir earthquake which occurred in the Pakistan administered Kashmir on the year 2005, the disaster killed 85350, left over a hundred and six thousand people injured and left more than many homeless.

Hurricane Katrina formed on august 23rd during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, it reached over 175m/ph winds and the terrifying thing destroyed anything in its path as it broke the flood defenses in over 50 places. The hurricane was one of the costliest and the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. The disaster killed more than 1836 people, left many more injured, millions peoples houses flooded and a whopping bill of 86 billion us dollars.

Over 70 countries gave donations. Kuwait made the largest single donation, $500 million; other large donations were made by Qatar ($100 million), South Korea ($30 million), Australia ($10 million), India, China (both $5 million), Pakistan ($1.5 million), and Bangladesh ($1 million).

People were affected psycholigacialy too after seeing family relatives being frown about and not being treated with respect and it all happened because of the hurricane.

The death per thousand toll has raised too.There are to date approximately 1897 deaths caused by Hurricane Katrina or the flooding aftermath.

Displacement – Because high amount of refugees (500,000), homeless people (80% city underwater) people are accommodated in a number of things, trailer parks are for the poorest people who cannot afford to move elsewhere and those who could not afford insurance. These trailer parks are located across neighbouring states containing evacuees or IDP’s Internally Displaced People. There is short term displacement for those whose houses in the higher parts of New Orleans i.e. places above sea level. For those in H.S.E.G’s (higher social economic groups) or for those people who had insurance, they can move to neighbouring states. During the hurricane and immediately after, the Superdome was the biggest structure and evacuees or IDP’s had to go to this “safehouse”. Between 15,000 and 25,000 people came to the Superdome expecting to be helped however when they arrived they found little supplies of food water and electricity, these people also had to contend with reports of a rapist in the dome. 6 people died.

Disruption – The main airport was closed during the storm but opened up soon after, although it only allowed relief and rescue flights. Disruption to tourists, commercial flights didn’t reconvene until September 13th. Bridges and other destruction to roads or freeways caused massive disruption to travel networks. People couldn’t get to work and so the whole infrastructure collapsed as no-one could travel anywhere.

Looting – Because people thought they had been abandoned they took to looting shops for food and resources. On August 21st New Orleans 1,500 strong police force abandoned search and rescue missions to turn their attention towards controlling the widespread looting. The city also ordered a mandatory curfew. The mayor (Ray Nagin) ordered for federal assistance. Governor Blanco announced the arrival of the military and suggested in the state of emergency that the military knew how to shoot and he expected they would. There were reported armed attacks on relief helicopters, bus convoys and police officers. On Sep 1st 6,500 National Guard Troops had arrived in New Orleans to help the looting and seize control of the city.

The American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Convention, Salvation Army, Oxfam, Common Ground Collective, Emergency Communities, Habitat for Humanity, Service International, “A River of Hope” and many other charitable organizations provided help to the victims of the storm. They were not allowed into New Orleans proper by the National Guard for several days after the storm because of safety concerns. These organizations raised $4.25 billion (USD) in donations by the public, with the Red Cross receiving over half of the donations.

Volunteers from amateur radio’s emergency service wing, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, provided communications in areas where the communications infrastructure had been damaged or totally destroyed, relaying everything from 911 traffic to messages home. In Hancock County, Mississippi, ham radio operators provided the only communications into or out of the area, and even served as 911 dispatchers.

Many corporations also contributed to relief efforts. On September 13, 2005, it was reported that corporate donations to the relief effort were $409 million, and were expected to exceed $1 billion.

During and after the Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita, the American Red Cross had opened 1,470 different shelters across and registered 3.8 million overnight stays. A total of 244,000 Red Cross workers (95% of which were non-paid volunteers) were utilized throughout these three hurricanes. In addition, 346,980 comfort kits (such as toothpaste, soap, washcloths and toys for children) and 205,360 clean up kits (containing brooms, mops and bleach) were distributed. For mass care, the organization served 68 million snacks and meals to victims of the disasters and to rescue workers. The Red Cross also had their Disaster Health services meet 596,810 contacts, and Disaster Mental Health services met 826,590 contacts. Red Cross emergency financial assistance was provided to 1.4 million families. Hurricane Katrina was the first natural disaster in the United States that the American Red Cross utilized their “Safe and Well” family location website.

In the year following Katrina’s strike on the Gulf Coast, The Salvation Army allocated donations of more than $365 million to serve more than 1.7 million people in nearly every state. The organization’s immediate response to Hurricane Katrina included more than 5.7 million hot meals, 8.3 million sandwiches, snacks & drinks. Its SATERN network of amateur radio operators picked up where modern communications left off to help locate more than 25,000 survivors. Salvation Army pastoral care counselors were on hand to comfort the emotional and spiritual needs of 277,000 individuals. As part of the overall effort, Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers contributed more than 900,000 hours of service.

The earthquake’ (also known as the South Asian earthquake or the Great Pakistan earthquake) of 2005, was a major earthquake, of which the epicentre was the Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The earthquake occurred at 08:50:38 Pakistan Standard Time (03:50:38 UTC) on 8 October 2005. It registered a debatable 7.7 or 7.6 on the richter scale making it a major earthquake similar in intensity to the 1935 Quetta earthquake, the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. As of 8 November, the Pakistani government’s official death toll was 73,276, while officials say nearly 1,400 people died in Jammu and Kashmir and fourteen people in Afghanistan.

Most of the affected people lived in mountainous regions with access impeded by landslides that blocked the roads, leaving an estimated 3.3 million homeless in Pakistan. The UN reported that 4 million people were directly affected, prior to the commencement of winter snowfall in the Himalayan region. It is estimated that damages incurred are well over US$ 5 billion (300 billion Pakistani rupees) Five crossing points were opened on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan to facilitate the flow of humanitarian and medical aid to the affected region, and international aid teams from around the world came to the region to assist in relief.

Map depicting tectonic plates shows Indian subcontinent and Eurasian landplate divide through Pakistan and Kashmir where earthquake activity is common.

Kashmir lies in the area of collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The geological activity born out of this collision, also responsible for the birth of the Himalayan mountain range, is the cause of unstable seismicity in the region. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured its magnitude as a minimum of 7.6 on the moment magnitude scale, with its epicenter at about 19 km (11.8 miles) northeast of Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, and 100 km (65 miles) north-northeast of the national capital Islamabad. The earthquake is classified as “major” by the USGS. The hypocenter was located at a depth of 26 km (16.2 miles) below the surface . The Japan Meteorological Agency estimated its magnitude at a minimum of 7.8. By comparison, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake had a magnitude of 9.15. The earthquake caused widespread destruction in northern Pakistan, as well as damage in Afghanistan and northern India. The worst hit areas were Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), western and southern parts of the Kashmir valley in the Indian Kashmir. It also affected some parts of the Pakistani province of Punjab, the capital city of Islamabad, and the city of Karachi experienced a minor aftershock of magnitude 4.6. There have been many secondary earthquakes in the region, mainly to the northwest of the original epicenter. A total of 147 aftershocks were registered in the first day after the initial quake, of which one had a magnitude of 6.2 Twenty-eight of these aftershocks occurred with magnitudes greater. On October 19, a series of strong aftershocks, one with a magnitude of 5.8, occurred about 65 km (40.5 miles) north-northwest of Muzaffarabad. There have been more than 978 aftershocks with a magnitude of 4.0 and above, as of 27 October 2005 that continue to occur daily.

Most of the casualties resulting from the earthquake were in Palistan where the official confirmed death toll is 74,698, putting it higher than the massive scale of destruction of the Quetta earthquake of May 31, 1935. Nearly 1,400 people died in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to officials. International donors have estimated that about 86,000 died but this has not been confirmed or endorsed by Pakistani authorities.

As Saturday is a normal school day in the region, most students were at schools when the earthquake struck. Many were buried under collapsed school buildings. Many people were also trapped in their homes and, because it was the month of Ramadan, most people were taking a nap after their pre-dawn meal and did not have time to escape during the earthquake. Reports indicate that entire towns and villages were completely wiped out in Northern Pakistan with other surrounding areas also suffering severe damage.

“…a second, massive wave of death will happen if we do not step up our efforts now”, Kofi Annan said on 20 October with reference to the thousand remote villages in which people are in need of medical attention, food, clean water and shelter and the 120,000 survivors that have not yet been reached.”

According to Pakistan’s Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz

“made the appeal to survivors” on 26 October to come down to valleys and cities for relief, because bad weather, mountainous terrain, landslides and blocked roads are making it difficult for relief workers to reach each house and the winter snows are imminent.”

Humanitarian aid reaches the devastated far flung areas of Northern Pakistan.

Pakistani Soldiers carry tents away from a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter here October 19. The United States took part in the multinational effort to provide humanitarian assistance and support to Pakistan and Afghanistan following the devastating October 8 earthquake.

Polish military engineers at work. 140 Polish soldiers were a part of the 1000 troops sent by NATO from ISAF in Afganistan.

Heavy snowfall in the region around the epicenter, shown here in a January 6, 2006 NASA satellite image, hampered relief efforts since beginning shortly after the earthquake struck.

Relief efforts in many remote villages were hampered, as roads were buried in rubble and many affected areas remained inaccessible. Heavy equipment was needed to clear the roads and to rescue survivors buried under the earthquake wreckage, as many rescuers were picking the rubble with pickaxes and their bare hands, looking for survivors.

Rescue effort were also affected by the numerous aftershocks that continued to rattle the region and put rescue workers in danger as they searched through the wreckage for survivors. Five crossing points were opened on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan in the province of Kashmir. The first was opened at Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch, the second at Kaman Post in Uri (on the road between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad) and the third across the Neelum river between Chiliana in Pakistan and Tithwal in India. These facilitated the flow of relief goods and allowed people to meet relatives across the Line of Control.

In many areas there was no power, or adequate food or water; there was also the danger of disease spreading , including measles. Distributing relief supplies to the victims was especially urgent as the victims face the risk of exposure to cold weather due to the region’s high altitude and the approaching winter. Food, medicine supplies, tents and blankets were been identified by relief workers as essential items. On October 10, the United Nations warned that the earthquake left 2.5 million people homeless and they were in need of shelter. The UN made an appeal to raise US$272 million to help victims.

On October 13, snow started to fall on the Indian side of Kashmir. Many regions are facing an increasing threat of being cut off from help as snow forces closures of even more roads in the mountainous region.

Many countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have offered relief aid to the region, in the form of donation as well as relief supplies including food, medical supplies, tents and blankets.

Rescue and relief workers were sent to the region from different parts of the world and they brought along rescue equipment, including helicopters and rescue dogs.

The United Nations has appealed for donations to raise at least US$272 million to help victims of the quake.

Houses Constructed by Lions Clubs International

The International Association of Lions Clubs (LCI) & Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) donated an amount of US$ 892,000/- for the reconstruction of 150 houses along with supporting infrastructure and a water supply system at Village Anwar Sharif, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir.

International Director Lion Malik Khuda Baksh and Past International Presdient Lions Ashok Mehta

The project was completed in July 2007 and the houses were handed over to their occupants by the International Director of Lions Clubs International, Lion Malik Khuda Baksh on July 26, 2007. Mr. Raja Zulqarnain Khan, President of the Azad Kashmir was the Chief Guest of the Ceremony.

A team of volunteer New York City paramedics traveled to the remote villages of Kashmir two weeks after the earthquake and treated over 200 patients a day in a two week relief effort.

Many international relief organizations remain, particularly in the hard hit areas of NWFP and rural Kashmir .

In my opinion these disasters were equally bad in certain factors of their own. The amount of aid given though wasn’t because it is a fact that the people in Kashmir received more aid. The reason for that is because not that many people actually knew that an earthquake in Kashmir occurred which makes some of the charities useless as they are not able to help. We also don’t get so much news from Asia so it would be hard for reporters form the u.k or the us to get there. Or the reason that we sometimes don’t see some of the disasters is because the government may think that its not important for people knowing what has happened.

I think that its weird how a poorer country gets even poorer after a natural disaster and doesn’t receive so much help but if a rich country is damaged by a natural disaster it gets poorer but much more aid is given than in a poor country