90% of deaths caused by natural disasters in developing countries, UN report

More than 90% of deaths have been caused by natural disasters in developing countries according to a UN report.

The extreme weather conditions has caused the deaths of 2 million people over 50 years costing $4.3 trillion in economic damage.

According to the new figures published on Monday from the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), 11,778 weather related disaster have occurred from 1970 to 2021.

“The most vulnerable communities unfortunately bear the brunt of weather, climate and water-related hazards,” WMO chief Petteri Taalas said in a statement.

Taalas pointed out that during disasters similar to Mocha in the past, “both Myanmar and Bangladesh suffered death tolls of tens and even hundreds of thousands of people.”

Myanmar’s military government has put the death toll from the latest cyclone at 145, but there are fears the number is higher.

And in its update of that report, the WMO said Monday that 22,608 disaster deaths were recorded globally in 2020 and 2021 combined.

The UN has launched a plan to ensure all nations are covered by disaster early warning systems by the end of 2027. To date, only half of the world’s countries have such systems in place.