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In a special focus on innovation and new technologies, Anne-Sophie David, journalist for the New Economist, writes on MISSING.NET, research engine for missing people. This tool, conceived by the Red Helmets Foundation, is devoted  to be used after natural disasters occur. Excerpts of the article.





A figure that breaks the record. Natural disasters cost 380 billion dollars to the world economy in 2011, announced on the 5th of March the special representative of the UN Secretary General for natural disasters prevention. The Japanese earthquake, of its own, and the tsunami and the nuclear incident that followed, provoked damages evaluated at 2010 billion dollars by the UN. 

This total amount is the "minimum" evaluated and overtakes the 2005 last record of 75%, the year when the hurricane Katrina laid waste to the United States, specified the UN representative, Margareta Wahlström.

 






Since the 14th of December, the tropical tempest Washi litteraly shakes the South of the Philippines, and provokes deadly floods, rivers of mud and debris, and mudslides. Entire villages are said to have disappeared in this region, usually spared by typhoons. According to the last information, the death toll would rise to 1.010 and numerous missing people.  

 

The poorest layers of the population, living in flimsy housing at the water's edge, were particularly touched by the catastrophe. Millions of people are, as a consequence, homeless and lack food or clothes. At the same time, more than 280.000 people would be displaced, 40.000 could be sheltered in temporary housing centers.

 






Since 1999 and Imzit earthquake, measuring 7.6, Turkey has not experienced such a catastrophe. However, in this seismic area formed by the meeting of several tectonic plates, earthquakes are quite usual and the population is well-prepared to them. Unfortunately, building security norms are too less followed, hence the significant damages.

 

The quake, measuring 7.2, hit the eastern part of Turkey on Sunday. It devastated Van’s area, and the death and material tolls don’t stop rising. Already 459 people are reported dead, 1.350 injured. And it is still impossible to measure how many are missing.

 





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Paris, October 22th  (TV5 Monde) - Nicole Guedj was invited to the show "Francophonie & Solidarité", on TV5 Monde. The debate denounced the sanitary emergency in Haïti ten months after the terrible eathquake. The President of the Foundation calls again for the creation of a Red Helmets force at the UN, as a necessary step to a new humanitarian governance.  






After her return from Montreux and in the perspective of the upcoming G8 and G20, Nicole Guedj, published today a column on LeMonde.fr : "After Haiti, the creation of Red Helmets at the UN is a compulsory step to a new humanitarian governance"






Decision-makers, leaders and stakeholders from the Free/Open Source movement met with the ambition to build the digital future based on open source. They wanted an event that would tie open software in with economics and social initiatives.






On last Tuesday, as a consequence of heavy rains and unprecedented floods, the State of Chiapas, a rural zone in Mexico, was stroke by a deadly mudslide






In 1983, the 30th of August has been consecrated  "International Day for the Disappeared". Each year, it is the occasion to evoke these dramatic situations endured by thousands of persons.

The causes of disappearances are numerous; they go from armed conflicts to natural catastrophes. During the last decade, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes are responsible for the major part of disappearances.






Pakistan has been suffering from terrible floods for a whole month now. More than a fifth of the country is currently under water. According to the UN, it is the worst flood in Pakistan's history.

The Pakistani government stated that the toll is already heavy: at least 1600





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