http://news.excite.com/news/r/010628/13/science-environment-disasters-dc
Updated: Thu, Jun 28 1:50 PM EDT
By Richard Waddington
GENEVA (Reuters) - The world's poor face a mounting threat from flood and famine, their vulnerability increased by climate change and globalization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Thursday.
The relief agency said in its World Disasters Report 2001 that the poor suffered the highest death tolls and were otherwise most affected because poverty weakened resilience to floods, droughts and other natural disasters.
"Recurrent disasters from floods in Asia to drought in the Horn of Africa to windstorms in Latin America are sweeping away development gains and calling into question the possibility of recovery," the IFRC said in an appeal for international aid focused more on local economic and social needs.
It cited Venezuela, where survivors of the devastating mudslides of 1999 who had moved to safer areas had been unable to find jobs there and were returning to danger zones.
Rather than concentrating on rebuilding damaged infrastructure, aid efforts needed to be directed toward "rebuilding people's livelihoods" the report said.
Full Story: http://news.excite.com/news/r/010628/13/science-environment-disasters-dc
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