RECORD NUMBER OF FLOODS, DROUGHTS AND STORMS AROUND THE WORLD - AND YEAR

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JULIAN BORGER, GUARDIAN, UK - A record number of floods, droughts and
storms around the world this year amount to a climate change "mega
disaster", the United Nation's emergency relief coordinator, Sir John
Holmes, has warned. . . As a measure of the worsening situation, Ocha,
the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - part of the
UN secretariat that employs Sir John - has issued 13 emergency "flash"
appeals so far this year. The number is three more than in 2005, which
held the previous record.

Two years ago only half the international disasters dealt with by Ocha
had anything to do with the climate; this year all but one of the 13
emergency appeals is climate-related. "And 2007 is not finished. We will
certainly have more by the end of the year, I fear," added Sir John.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/05/climatechange

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