In recent history there have been several natural disasters around the globe that have resulted in massive death and destruction. Perhaps the most vivid in the minds of many would be the tsunami of December 2004 when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake in the Indian Ocean created a series of waves and walls of water that pummeled neighboring countries causing more than a quarter million people in 14 countries to perish. Since then, there have been other destructive earthquakes with perhaps less destructive impact. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake shook northeastern Japan, unleashing a savage tsunami. The effects of this quake reverberated around the globe - from Norway's fjords to Antarctica's ice sheet. The debris from the resulting tsunami washed up on North American beaches two years later. Perhaps more ominous was the discovery of radioactive water leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which suffered a level 7 nuclear meltdown after the tsunami. Nearly 20,000 people died as a result of the tsunami created by the quake. There have been earthquakes in northern Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and other places around the globe each exacting a heavy toll in human lives. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the southeastern seaboard of the United States, leaving behind nearly 2,000 dead in its wake. Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 was a super cyclone which devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. Yolanda carries the distinction of being the “strongest storm recorded at landfall, and the strongest typhoon ever recorded in terms of one-minute sustained wind speed,” according to scientists and meteorologists who tracked the storm. More than 6,300 perished during this disaster. There have been floods, drought, volcanic eruptions and a host of other natural disasters in various corners of the globe that have captured our attention and our concerns. In recent times, our attention has somewhat shifted to conflicts that have erupted in several countries in our region. Conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, the Arab Spring, Iran's saber-rattling and the protracted Syrian civil war among others have dominated the headlines. But now comes another natural disaster; one that has hit a country called “one of the 50 places to see before you die,” and indeed one which is on many peoples' wish list. The disaster in the form of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake last Saturday hit the tiny country of Nepal with shock waves spreading from just outside the capital of Katmandu to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an avalanche that buried portions of the base camp packed with climbers preparing to make their summit attempts. Seventeen people died there buried under tons of snow. The earthquake was the worst to hit Nepal in over 80 years. It destroyed many of the oldest neighborhoods of Katmandu and was felt across parts of India, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan. The death toll has already passed 4,300 with 8,000 confirmed injuries. United Nations relief organizations have estimated that eight million or roughly a third of the country's population has been affected through losing property and shelter and thus being made homeless. The response to this natural disaster was immediate from Pakistan, India and China. The United States and several other countries including some in the GCC have offered assistance. Nepal is a poor country with “no global strategic value” as some callous politicians would assess. But they are human beings and need our support. Currently, there are reported shortages of blankets, medicine and doctors. As members of the human race, let us individually focus our thoughts on the plights of our Nepali brethren and do what we can to assist in alleviating some of their suffering. Call the embassy of Nepal in Riyadh to see how you can help. God bless you.
— The author can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
