We must help countries prepare for disasters

TODAY we remember the 222,570 people who died as a result of the Haiti earthquake.

This tragedy prompted a generous response from the Irish public yet many of these deaths could have been prevented by investing in disaster preparation and mitigation.

2010 was one of the worst years on record for natural disasters. Despite the four-fold increase in disasters since the 1970s, only 4% of the estimated €7 billion of humanitarian aid spent annually is devoted to prevention strategy.