Countries Where the Most People Have Died in Natural Disasters

The 2004 tsunami impacted several countries in South and Southeast Asia, but Indonesia sustained the most damage. A 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered the titanic waves of the tsunami that killed more than 165,000 in the country.

The Himalayan country of Nepal endured one of its worst natural disasters when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook the ground around the capital city of Kathmandu. Although the Himalayan region is seismically active, major earthquakes are infrequent in the area.

Hitting a remote, mountainous region of Afghanistan, the May 1998 quake magnitude was estimated at 6.9 by the U.S. Geological Survey. It was preceded by another strong earthquake in the same country in February. At the time, the area where the quake struck was held by forces opposed to the Taliban.

Repeated epidemics and droughts have plagued Chad for decades. With Lake Chad, one of the continent’s largest freshwater bodies, shrinking by 90%, the drought crisis continues, according to a report in Down to Earth. The lake provides water, irrigation, and other economic benefits to the countries of Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon.

In March 2014, an outbreak of ebola spread throughout West Africa, including the countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The epidemic was declared over in 2016.