Natural disasters that plagued the world in 2023
Al Jazeera
Natural calamities and harsh weather dominated news headlines in 2023.
Seismic tremors, massive floods, raging wildfires, unrelenting droughts, landslides, cyclones and storms hit around the world, killing and displacing tens of thousands of people.
The most destructive event of the year was a twin earthquake with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 that struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border on February 6. An estimated 14 million people, representing 16 percent of Turkey’s population, were affected. Confirmed deaths totalled 50,783 in Turkey and 8,476 in Syria.
On September 8, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck western Morocco, killing at least 2,900 people and wounding 5,500. A magnitude 6.3 earthquake rocked western Afghanistan on October 7. It was followed by another magnitude 6.3 earthquake four days later and a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on October 15, killing almost 3,000.
Typhoon Doksuri caused significant rainfall and flooding throughout at least 16 cities and provinces in northeastern China on July 29. In September, Mediterranean Storm Daniel passed across eastern Libya, leaving a path of devastation.
