Our Mother Nature's

A family is left homeless after a tsunami swept the Samoan Islands
triggered by a massive underwater earthquake.

People sleep in a temporary shelter after fleeing homes damaged by a
powerful earthquake in Padang, Indonesia.

Residents in Cainta Rizal, Philippines, wade in floodwater
caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy.

A convergence of severe natural disasters has left millions of people in distress across Asia and the Pacific this week. Since 26 September, a total of six countries have been hit by flooding, a typhoon, a tsunami and earthquakes.

Earth Quakes in Indonesia
UNICEF is also working to deliver relief for children and families affected by two successive earthquakes in Western Sumatra, Indonesia. The first, a 7.6-magnitude temblor, hit on 30 September; it was followed within 24 hours by a second, slightly smaller quake.

Hundreds are already confirmed dead in the affected areas. That number is expected to rise sharply as bodies trapped in the rubble are removed. Mr. Holmes suggested the death toll could surpass that of the 2006 quake in Central Java, which killed more than 5,000.

Tsunami in Samoa and Tonga

Separately this week, an earthquake in the South Pacific caused a series of tsunamis that swept coastal villages in the Samoan Islands.

Though the population of these islands is relatively small, children in Samoa and Tonga are at risk of respiratory disease, measles and tetanus, as vaccination rates in many communities are low. On some islands, all medical facilities have been lost along with water supplies.

Man has to find solutions in nature to withstand such disasters. Mangroves are nature’s buffer from tsunamis. Town planning is just as crucial as indiscriminate construction will only bring about flash floods and more deaths.