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Disasters affect nearly 700 million globally; disinformation poses major threat
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Disasters affect nearly 700 million globally; disinformation poses major threat

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Natural disasters affected 697 million people globally between 2020 and 2024, with 14,348 events recorded.
  • The report highlights disinformation as a major challenge, impacting crisis response and humanitarian aid access.
  • Experts warn that hydrometeorological hazards, exacerbated by climate change, are expected to increase, leading to more affected populations.

A staggering 697 million people worldwide were impacted by 14,348 natural disasters between 2020 and 2024, according to the World Disasters Report presented by the Spanish Red Cross. The report emphasizes that these emergencies are increasingly becoming not just physical crises but also informational ones, as "harmful narratives" significantly influence reactions to crises and access to humanitarian aid.

Disinformation is a political urgency. For the first time, the report says it is not just a communication issue: a humanitarian operation that does not take disinformation into account will be very difficult.

— Xavier CastellanosCastellanos highlights the critical impact of disinformation on humanitarian efforts.

Xavier Castellanos, deputy secretary for Development and Coordination of National Societies at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), described disinformation as a "political urgency." He stated that humanitarian operations failing to account for disinformation will face immense difficulties. The simple message promoted is "Stop, verify, and share."

Stop, verify, and share.

— Xavier CastellanosCastellanos presents the core message for combating disinformation.

Castellanos recounted an incident where a video falsely attributed to the Red Crescent showed bodies being dumped in a mass grave in Sudan. This lie, spread rapidly, led several governments to withdraw financial support and resulted in attacks on volunteers burying the dead. "It took a whole year to debunk a lie spread in hours," he lamented, adding that disinformation is the "most widespread pandemic" and is often underestimated.

It took a whole year to debunk a lie spread in hours.

— Xavier CastellanosCastellanos illustrates the difficulty and time required to counter false narratives.

The report, titled 'Truth, Trust, and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information,' notes that information can be as vital as basic necessities but also cause significant harm. Rumors can overshadow health advice during disease outbreaks, distrust can impede aid delivery after disasters, and inflammatory narratives can escalate violence in armed conflicts. The number of people needing humanitarian assistance grew from 192 million to 433 million during this period. Floods were the disaster prompting the most international humanitarian aid requests. Given that hydrometeorological hazards are the primary risk drivers, these figures are projected to rise due to climate change.

Information is as essential as food, water, and shelter.

— Jagan ChapagainChapagain, IFRC Secretary General, emphasizes the critical role of information.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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