Published on: 2026-07-12
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 12, 2026 Climate and Environment
Earthquakes remain the deadliest of all natural disasters. From 2000 to 2023, they accounted for more than half of all deaths related to natural catastrophes. In the European Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of people live and receive medical care in buildings that may not withstand strong underground tremors.
Istanbul causes particular concern. The city with a population of over 15 million people is located near the North Anatolian Fault – one of the most active in the world. According to a study published in 2025, there is a section of the fault under the Sea of Marmara capable of causing an earthquake with a magnitude of about seven. Scientists estimate that the probability of such an event in the Istanbul area in the coming decades is 40–60 percent.
However, the risk area is not limited to Turkey. The WHO European Region contains two of the world’s largest seismic belts. Almost the entire territory of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as certain areas of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, along with the South Caucasus countries, fall into zones of very high seismic hazard. The Fergana Valley is especially vulnerable, where about 11 million people live across the territories of three countries at once – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The experience of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in 2023 showed how critically important it is for hospitals to continue operating after a disaster. If medical facilities go offline in the first minutes after the natural disaster strikes, thousands of victims may be left without life-saving assistance.
WHO experts emphasize that preparedness is significantly cheaper than post-disaster response. According to UN estimates, building a new hospital with seismic standards increases project costs by less than four percent, while retrofitting existing buildings may cost about one percent of their value, significantly improving their chances of continuing operations after an earthquake.
In addition to strengthening medical infrastructure, experts recommend keeping emergency medical teams on constant readiness, conducting regular drills, improving international coordination, and paying special attention to protecting the most vulnerable groups of the population – the elderly, people with disabilities, and forced migrants.
As noted by WHO, the main lesson from recent major earthquakes is that preparation must be done before the next disaster occurs.
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