The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has published two statements, one on the devastating wildfires in Chile ealier this year and the other on the one-year anniversary of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Due to 100 fatalities, this year´s wildfires are considered Chile´s deadliest fires on record with expectations that the death toll will even grow. Worldwide, wildfires are becoming more widespread, burning almost twice as much tree as they did 20 years ago. Climate change and land-use change are also increasing the risk of escalating fires. UNEP expects a global increase of extreme fires of up to 14 % by 2030.
The earthquake in Syria and Turkey has taken 55,000 deaths in total and additionally affected over 15 million people. International aid and relief was involved in managing the vast response, as demaged infrastucture and buildings worsened the overall situation. Since earthquakes not only result in a substantional human toll but also in high economic losses, the question of building back better and leaving no one behind is becoming even more imprtant.
Image: Tagesschau