Nature
One of the compound factors causing the loss of life after natural disasters is the spread of disease. It is likely more people die in the wake of disasters; earthquakes, flash floods, torrential storms and hurricanes, from the emergence of water-borne and other diseases caused by the disruption of normal services, than as a direct result of the initial disastrous event. Hence international relief agencies and disaster response plans prioritise the early combatting of disease outbreak and the re-establishment of safe health and sanitation systems.