Do natural disasters have a greater impact on the poor?

This was a question in one of the girl's A level exams. I set the challenge to one of our class 10 students, Sabitri Pathak, to explore her thoughts on this important question. Often schools teach the students these issues in separate topics - "What are natural disasters?" and "What problems and challenges face the poor?" Putting them together and exploring the impact, especially as a comparison, was a great critical thinking challenge! Thanks for accepting my challenge, Sabitri!

THE POOR SUFFER NATURE’S FURY THE MOST

Sabitri Pathak

An unpredictable incident that interrupts the whole ecosystem of a certain territory especially natural scenes and human settlement is called nature's fury or natural calamities. Floods, landslides, earthquakes are major examples of natural calamities. The poor and less facilitated people who don't have adequate goods to fulfil their basic needs such as food, clothes, shelter, health, etc are the major victims of such furies.

The poor often lack required food, jobs, housing, education, health and other major aspects of quality of life. They don't have jobs and rely on limited agriculture which even can't provide them with necessary food. Due to lack of funds, they can't save money and are often compelled to live difficult lives. They suffer from malnutrition and other epidemics due to unhealthy settlements and food habits.

Yes, I agree with above mentioned statement. Wealthier people can recover more easily as they have money, insurance and communications through which they can get support. But the same things are not available for the poor. Because of this they suffer most. If a flood occurs, it may destroy all settlements and vegetation. The poor lose their small piece of land from where they have been earning money. They also can't get foods and clean drinking water. They suffer from diseases like malaria, dysentery but can't get health facilities. They are even deprived of support as they doesn't have link with organisations.

Similarly, if there is an earthquake or drought, the poor have to face more challenges than the wealthy. Earthquakes may damage their houses but they can't reconstruct it. They become homeless. They can't grow crops and earn little money for their livelihood if a drought occurs. It affects their economic status which in turn gives negative impact on other various aspects of living.

The problems associated with disasters arise one after another for the poor, if nature's fury occurs. If the so called poor are given access to employment from where they can earn they don't have to face the burden of calamities effects. Micro-credit programmes and human investment should be launched to minimise poverty to reduce tension of disasters as we can't control the happenings of natural disasters.