Most natural disasters today are linked to climate change, says
John Holmes, UN emergency relief coordinator and head of the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. OCHA
today launched a campaign to raise awareness of the humanitarian
implications of climate change, calling for improved disaster
preparedness and response measures in countries that suffer most
from extreme weather events. "This campaign highlights our huge
concerns about the humanitarian impact of climate change," said
Holmes. "Any credible vision of the future must recognize that
humanitarian needs are increasing and that climate change is the
main driver. We are already seeing its effects, in terms of the
numbers of people affected and in the rising cost of response."
…From 1988 through 2007, over 75 percent of all disaster events
were climate-related and accounted for 45 percent of deaths and
80 percent of the economic losses caused by natural hazards. The
most vulnerable are impoverished people living in risk-prone ho