Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes… Latest Update: On October 7, 2023, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Herat Province, western Afghanistan. Several aftershocks have occurred since. The death and injury toll was high as the quake struck in an area with poor infrastructure and few resources to manage the crisis. In September, A powerful earthquake struck Morocco on registering 6.8 on the Richter scale and causing at least 2,100 deaths. The United States Geological Survey said it was the strongest quake to hit the area in more than 100 years. Earthquakes and other catastrophic events can strike suddenly on a massive scale over a wide area with a death toll in the tens of thousands. While the tsunami threat after an earthquake (Indonesia 2018 Japan 2011, Southeast Asia 2004) does allow a brief time to post a warning, often it is too little to save lives. In the case of earthquakes and volcanoes, the series of aftershocks or continued volcanic activity poses an ongoing threat in the midst of the chaos after the initial event. And in countries like Haiti which has endured the devastation and death associated with major earthquakes in 2010 and again in 2021, the recovery process take years and exposes communities to the effects of other disasters. In 2020, while Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Maria, a major earthquake struck. See the latest earthquake activity via the USGS map.
Help Communities Build Back Better. Consider what your ongoing support could do for communities recovering from a major earthquake or other catastrophe, a recovery that may take months …or years.