2020 by the Young Diplomats Society

BIG WEATHER THAT
SHAPED US
Anet McClintock
FLOODS
Sudan
Record-breaking floods in Sudan this year forced the
Sudanese government to call a state of emergency across
the country. By the end of August, the Nile, the major river
system that flows through Sudan, reached nearly 17.5
metres.
Later this year, the United Nations advised that the floods
affected more than one million people in the country. The
floods also triggered major landslides which have affected
much of its population.
China
Meanwhile, in China, the Yangtze River broke its banks. 130
other rivers in the country experienced flooding.
Cumulatively more than 130 people died and more than 1.5
million people were forced to evacuate. The floods were also
important since they shed light on the shortcomings of
China’s largest hydroelectric dam - the Three Gorges Dam.
Many say the dam, which is less than 20 years old, has
failed to do exactly what it was designed to do; prevent
destructive floods.
Cambodia and Vietnam
Tropical storms were the cause of floods in central Vietnam
and Cambodia in October this year. The torrential rain,
together with the ensuing landslides, killed at least 132
people and affected more than 5 million people in the South-
East Asian countries. Many of the countries’ livestock were
also wiped out with more than 650,000 livestock and
poultry were killed due to the rains. Many Cambodians and
Vietnamese people rely on farming as their main source of
income, and so the loss of their livestock may cause longterm
devastation.
EARTHQUAKES
Turkey and Greece - Aegean Sea Earthquake
The Mediterranean was rocked by one of the worst
earthquakes of the year. The Turkish holiday city of Izmir
was particularly hard hit - approximately 17 buildings fell,
and more than 116 people died. A couple of young people on
the Greek island, Samos, were killed due to the earthquake
as well. It was the largest earthquake in Turkey in over ten
years.
US
The biggest earthquake this year happened just off the
southern coast of Alaska. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake did
not cause significant damage, and luckily, no people were
injured or killed.