Natural disasters
Some people on Indonesia’s Simeulue island relied on folklore to escape the 2004 tsunami
The majority of deaths from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami were in Indonesia. But the island of Simeulue was largely spared. Researchers say this was partly due to folklore passed down through the generations that residents are now trying to keep alive.
As flood waters drop, Brazil faces a waterborne disease outbreak
Heavy rain hit southern Brazil over the weekend, exacerbating the already unprecedented flooding tragedy the region has undergone since last April. Of the major concerns right now are respiratory illnesses and a bacterial disease that has already killed more than a dozen people.
Heavy flooding in Brazil’s south creates havoc for residents
Southern Brazil is facing the worst climate disaster in its history. Unprecedented floods have engulfed major Rio Grande do Sul cities, including the capital, Porto Alegre, where 135,000 people have been pushed from their homes, and there is still little end in sight.
Parents seek justice for children crushed in collapsed hotel during Turkish earthquake
In the year following catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey, the quest for accountability has been elusive. But a group of parents whose children died in a hotel collapse have brought a landmark criminal case to court.
30 years after a devastating earthquake, this school in India continues a legacy of support for survivors
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana’s educational rehabilitation school in Pune, India, was founded to support the complex needs of students who have experienced natural disasters and other traumatic crises. The school hopes to be a model for disaster relief around the world.
‘Organizing chaos’: Moroccans in Spain send aid convoys home after devastating earthquake
Moroccans continue digging out victims from this month’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the Atlas Mountains. The death toll now stands at nearly 3,000 people. Many more have been left homeless. Morocco’s government has so far only accepted aid from a handful of countries, but Moroccans overseas are stepping up. In Spain, they’re collecting supplies to send to victims, but it isn’t always easy.