• A lot of things can happen in a year but 2023 was somehow different as the world saw not only man-made disaster like war.
• The earthquakes killed over 55,000 people in Turkey and Syria, and injured a further over 100,000.
A lot of things can happen in a year but 2023 was somehow different as the world saw not only man-made disasters like war but also natural disasters that affected the way of life for hundreds of thousands of people.
War, floods, earthquakes and coups all formed part of the year 2023.
In this list, we will begin with the latest major occurrence that remains hot to date across the globe.
Israel-Gaza war
The war was a result of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, where it is believed that at least 1,200 people were killed, with around 240 others taken hostage. This is according to Israeli authorities.
Israeli forces would later launch retaliatory attacks and since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 15,500 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. Out of these, Hamas authorities say 6,000 are children.
While the war is ongoing, Senior US officials earlier reiterated their view that Israel had a right to defend itself - but added that its soldiers must protect civilians in Gaza.
Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire deal that saw a hostage and prisoner exchange, as well as entry of aid, in the form of food and non-food items into Gaza.
The ceasefire deal was brokered by Qatar but has since expired and the Israeli offensive is ongoing.
During the ceasefire, at least 110 people taken hostages by Hamas were released, while 180 Palestinians have been released from Israeli jails. The ceasefire lasted six days.
Libya floods
Image: AFP
On Sunday, September 10, 2023, Tropical Storm Daniel caused Libya's deadliest flooding in over a century.
The areas hit by the storm experienced strong winds and heavy rainfall, leading to the collapse of two dams and subsequent catastrophic flooding, which destroyed homes, hospitals, roads and power lines.
While the actual death toll from the floods remains unclear, As of October 25, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reports that 4,352 people have died and more than 8,000 people were missing, possibly swept out to sea.
As of October 2023, IOM estimated 44,862 internally displaced people were displaced as a result of the flooding. The flood damaged or destroyed around 10,000 buildings.
To date, there remain three accusations concerning the floods; Derna residents say they were told to stay at home instead of being evacuated even though it was known Storm Daniel was coming.
Authorities are accused of failing to address the danger posed by the dams on the Derna riverbed, as well as hindering aid efforts in the days immediately after the tragedy.
Morocco earthquake
Image: BBC
In September 2023, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck central Morocco, killing more than 2,000 people and causing severe damage in several areas.
Violent tremors were felt in several areas of the country from Casablanca to Marrakesh, where many buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.
The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) southwest of Marrakesh.
Morocco's interior ministry said the earthquake killed people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, adding that more than 1,200 had been injured.
In Marrakesh, buildings collapsed and the damage was particularly severe in parts of the Medina, a Unesco World Heritage site. Many of the victims were in hard-to-reach mountain areas.
The quake was also felt in neighbouring Algeria, but officials said it had not caused any damage or casualties.
The last major earthquake in the country struck the north-eastern city of Al Hoceima in 2004, killing at least 628 people. And the deadliest was in Agadir on the southern Atlantic coast, in 1960 and it killed about 12,000 people.
Turkey – Syria earthquake
In February, an earthquake ripped across southern Turkey and northern Syria. It flattened thousands of buildings, trapping their inhabitants in the rubble and was followed by several aftershocks.
The earthquakes killed more than 55,000 people in Turkey and Syria and injured a further over 100,000.
In Hatay province, some 23,000 people died and more than 30,000 were injured, according to Turkey's disaster management agency, Afad.
More than 160,000 buildings collapsed or were severely damaged in Turkey after the quakes, raising questions about whether the natural disaster's impact was made worse by human failings.
The Turkish government estimated the cost to rebuild the 11 provinces affected by the earthquakes will total $105 billion.
Investigations were also opened on over 600 people over the collapsed building that was meant to withstand the earthquakes.
Russia – Ukraine War
Image: PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE
The Russia-Ukrainian War is an ongoing international conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2014.
The war started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine’s territory on February 24, 2022. It has continued to form a large party of global developments that the world has been closely following.
The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis for the Ukrainian people and upended global food and energy security.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that since the invasion started, their economy is currently operating at a deficit of 30 per cent in Gross Domestic Product.
They also estimate the damage caused by Russia to be worth more than $400 billion in regions they have liberated from the control of Russian forces.
Ukrainian authorities also estimate the damage in areas currently occupied by Russia to be of the same amount and possibly more.
It is difficult to estimate the number of casualties, civilian and military but it is believed that the tally is in Hundreds of thousands, with both Russia and Ukraine registering a significant number of soldier deaths.
Russia continues its offensive while Ukraine continues its counteroffensive.
Coup de tats
Image: BBC
There seems to be an interesting relationship between African countries and Coups. In the last three years alone, we have had eight coups in Africa.
Of the eight, two occurred in 2023.
Niger Coup - On July 26, 2023, the Niger junta ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and placed him under house arrest.
The military leaders have since resisted international pressure to release Bazoum and return him to power, even as the West African regional bloc Ecowas threatened military action.
Abdourahmane Tchiani, the leader of the presidential guard which led the revolt appointed himself head of the country's new military government
On August 14, the junta announced plans to prosecute Bazoum for high treason and undermining national security.
Gabon Coup - On August 30, military officers in oil-rich Gabon said they had seized power and placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest.
The seizure of power came hours after the country’s electoral commission declared Bongo the winner of Saturday’s presidential elections.
Bongo won a third seven-year term with 64.27 per cent of the vote. He remains under house arrest.
The Junta then installed his cousin General Brice Clotaire Oligui-Nguema as the transitional President.