More than 220,000 people died from natural disasters in 2008

Natural disasters robbed more than 220,000 people in the past year and caused a loss of about $ 200 billion, making it one of the most frightening years in human history in terms of human and property losses.

More than one million Myanmar people lost their homes because of super typhoon Nargis.Photo: Dailife.

Munich Re, the second largest reinsurance company in the world based in Munich (Germany), said that although the number of natural disasters this year was lower than in 2007, they caused great damage to people. and of. 'This phenomenon reflects a long-term trend that we are following. Climate change has begun and played a key role in causing extreme weather and natural disasters , 'said Torsten Jeworrek, a Munich leader.

Super Typhoon Nargis struck Myanmar in May as the most devastating natural disaster of the year according to the number of people killed. This storm killed more than 135,000 people and pushed more than a million people into homelessness. Just a few days later, a seismic attack in China's Sichuan province also left 70,000 people dead, 18,000 missing and nearly 5 million homeless.

Although the death toll is lower than that of Nagis, the Sichuan earthquake is the biggest physical disaster in the year with losses of up to $ 85 billion. It also contributed to the year 2008 with the third largest financial loss in human history after 2005 and 1995. The year of many deaths due to natural disasters in recent years is 2004 with the tsunami. killed more than 225,000 people.

The 2008 disaster began with the harsh winter in Afghanistan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan in January, killing about one thousand people. In addition to Typhoon Nargis and the Sichuan earthquake, over the past year, Typhoon Fengshen has killed 557 people in China and the Philippines in June, floods in India, Nepal and Bangladesh in August and September claimed lives. 635 people and Pakistan earthquakes in October killed 300 people.

In the Americas, there are six strong tornadoes hitting the southern United States, of which the Ike whirlwind causes a loss of about $ 10 billion. In Europe, a low-pressure system named Emma caused $ 2 billion in damage in March, while Hurricane Hilal caused $ 1.1 billion in losses in late May and early June.