Natural Disasters: Health and Mental Health Considerations (Editorial‪)‬

The recent occurrence of the tsunami in southwest Asia heightened awareness of the devastating impact of natural disasters on human lives. What makes a natural disaster so devastating? The suddenness and magnitude of the occurrence renders the areas affected by natural disasters unable to respond effectively to the emergency because the devastation exceeds the capacity of the area's resources. By definition, a natural disaster is an ecological phenomenon that occurs suddenly and is of sufficient magnitude to require external assistance (World Health Organization, 1980). Noji (2000) identified the overall objectives of a public health response to disaster management as the following: 1. Assess the needs of disaster-affected populations;