Challenges of Emergency Relief

The effect of climate change has led to increasingly unusual climate patterns and seen more extreme weather events, plus earthquakes and volcano eruptions that often irregularly strike, all increasing the complexity and scale of global emergency relief operations.

For example, on March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history and the subsequent tsunami struck off the country's northeastern coast. Over 15,000 people died in the disaster. It also caused a nuclear crisis that triggered a worldwide panic.

South Korea was pummeled by Tropical Storm Meari in July 2011, unleashing strong winds and torrential downpours that flooded Seoul and its neighboring cities. The damage triggered by the storm was most severe in 100 years.

Also in 2011, Typhoon Nock-ten devastated Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam with heavy rainfalls, flooding villages and destroying river banks.

Typhoon Nanmadol swept the southern part of Taiwan in August 2011 and dumped 1,000 millimeters of rain in less than 3 days in Hengchun, Pintung County. It has resulted in serious damage again, following Typhoon Morakot in 2009.

Deadly disasters strike so frequently that they have become normal. The poorest communities and people that World Vision has worked with for many decades are particularly vulnerable to catastrophe. In developing countries, 97% of deaths caused by natural disasters are vulnerable and poor people.

World Vision Taiwan has worked to create effective mechanisms to respond to the impact of increasing disasters. Our disaster prevention projects, community food storage, and pre-position relief equipment enables World Vision to provide rapid, comprehensive disaster relief whenever the need arises.