- The latest data on disasters from the databases of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters can be found in the publication, “World Disaster Report”; (Oxford University Press). The data suggest that there are approximately 136,000 deaths each year from disasters, and 71,000 injuries. The annual costs associated with disasters exceeds $ 136 thousand million US.
- The continents of Africa and Asia appear to be the hardest it. Nearly 9 out of every 10 deaths from disasters occur in these areas. This is not surprising as there have been several observations that disasters cause fewer deaths in rich countries than in poor countries. This is primarily due to differences in the level of vulnerability and disaster preparedness between the rich and the poor. However, Africa and Asia also have large populations. The numbers above reflect absolute numbers and not rates. Thus, one should consider the impact by continent adjusted for population size.