In April 2015, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake shattered the lives of tens of thousands of people in Nepal. More than 9,000 people were reported dead. The earthquake that struck several districts destroyed homes, schools, and many of the buildings. Many of the affected villages had no standing structures and were completely flattened by the earthquake. Pipelines were destroyed and there was a big shortage of drinking water everywhere. Roads were damaged, landslides blocked roads, and it was very hard to reach many of the victims.

In December 2013, I visited the Visayas region of the Philippines, which was devastated by a “super” typhoon in November. The Philippine government estimates that at least 6,166 people were killed, 28,626 were injured and close to 2,000 are still missing. Tacloban, in central Philippines, was the hardest hit city. Millions were displaced by the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan (known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). Touring the city, most areas looked as if a nuclear bomb was detonated in them, with nearly 90 percent of the homes having been reduced to piles of rubble.