Natural disasters are much less deadly if there is a good disaster plan in place. Evacuation plans, backup resources, and a strong first response are some of the things disaster-prone regions can do to prepare for these deadly events. The amount of human life lost is greatly reduced with this type of planning. However, not all nations have the resources or a proper plan to prepare for natural disasters in this way. On November 12, Iran and Iraq experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3. The death toll is high, going over 300. There are also many people injured.

While building and other physical damage cannot be completely prevented, the loss of human life can be greatly reduced with preparation, especially if the region is on a fault zone, which is the case for Iran and Iraq. This article discussed the conditions of the region, which is currently poor for many people. They are sleeping on the streets because they are afraid of possible aftershocks, and there are no tents, electricity, or water. There has been no help from the government in some regions. Some people are still trapped in the rubble, and the rescuers don’t have proper tools. Some are using cellphone lighting instead of proper flashlights. I thought that these descriptions demonstrated that the government did not have a proper system in place for this earthquake, despite being on fault zones. This was a very strong earthquake, but if the government had set up a better first response, people might have been less affected and there would have been a lower death toll. The time right after a strong earthquake is a crucial one for the government to help its citizens and residents, and when those people don’t see a sincere or effective effort from their government, they become discouraged. Disaster preparedness has become increasingly important as we now know that with the proper preparation, many human lives could be saved.

 

Erdbrink, Thomas. “Iran-Iraq Earthquake Kills More Than 300.” NY Times, 12 Nov. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/world/middleeast/iran-iraq-earthquake.html

 

Cunningham, Erin. “t Death Toll in Iran-Iraq Earthquake Tops 400, State Media Says.” The Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2107.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/death-toll-in-iran-iraq-earthquake-tops-300-state-media-says/2017/11/13/990c7fe6-c84c-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html?utm_term=.3138a1ce7bee