The following disasters were recorded (by area) impacting thousands throughout the globe during March 2021:
Worldwide
Coronavirus (COVID-19 reported 135,646,617 confirmed cases and 2,930,732 deaths since the onset of the virus. Vaccine doses have been administered to thousands according to the World Health Organization. The Americas lead in cases, followed by Europe, South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, and the Western Pacific.
Algeria
Flash floods leave 7 dead and 3 missing in Chlef
Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes off Algeria
Argentina
Wildfires ravage Patagonia leaving 250 homes destroyed and 15 people missing
Australia
Tropical cyclone developed near the coast of Queensland, Australia
Flood evacuations issued in NSW those in Sydney warned to stay indoors
Worst floods since 1971 in New South Wales
Bangladesh
Massive fire leaves 45,000 refugees without shelter
Brazil
Yellow fever kills monkeys in Sana Catarina with two human cases.
Colombia
Persistent heavy rain leaves 7 people dead in Colombia.
Severe weather leaves 45 people dead with more than 2,000 homes damaged in Colombia
Democratic Republic of Congo
Deadly floods swept through Kinshasa and Brazzaville in Congo
East Asia
Mongolia and Northern China hit by worst sandstorm in a decade with six dead
Sandstorm from Mongolia affects many parts of Japan
Equador
Explosive eruption at Sangay volcano with ash up to 12.5 km
Europe
Equine herpes outbreak
Guatemala
Strong explosions at Pacaya volcano
Guinea
Ebola outbreak grows to 17 cases
Iceland
Sudden increase in seismic tremor southwest of Keilir at Reykjanes Peninsula
Magma chamber continues to expand with more than 35,000 earthquakes on Reykjanes Peninsula
Eruption near Fagradalsfjall on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula
High level of volcano gases close to the eruption sit at Fagradalsfjall
Ireland
Mysterious dolphin and whale strandings reaching record highs
Indonesia
Major eruption at Sinaburg volcano produced large pyroclastic flows with ash up to 12.2 km
Italy
Etna Volcano strong activity observed
Japan
Powerful M 7.2 earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan with tsunami warnings issued
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia health officials report two additional MERS cases in Riyadh
Malaysia
Severe floods hit Malacca
Two human rabies fatalities in Sarawak
Mongolia
Massive sandstorm forms over Mongolia, hits Beijing and is the worst in a decade
New Caledonia
Severe Tropical Cyclone “Niran” headed toward New Caledonia
New Zealand
Very strong earthquake M7.2 hits off the east coast of the North Island
Powerful earthquakes hit the Kermadec Islands – Tsunami warning
Nicaragua
San Cristobal volcano erupts with heavy ash blanketing the city of Chinandega
Niger
Deadly attack against displaced population in Western Niger
Nigeria
25 additional Lassa fever cases with one death
Norway
Salmonella outbreak with 10 people hospitalized
Oceania
Extensive damage in New Caledonia from Tropical Cyclone “Niran”
Palestine
Vaccines urgently needed as Palestine struggles under surge of COVID-19
Paraguay
Dengue cases continue to increase
Peru
Persistent heavy rains trigger flooding and landslides affecting more than 3000 homes
Philippines
Taal volcano alert status raised to Level 2
Russia
H5N8 avian influenza mutation
Somalia
Urgent funding needed to aid 2.7 m people
Salmonella outbreak sickens 12
Yersinia enterocolitica outbreak over with iceberg lettuce as the suspected source
Severe water shortages leave 70 percent of families without safe drinking water
Spain
Q fever confirmed in Biological Mechanical Treatment plant in Bilbao
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Change in seismic activity associated with the eruption of La Soufriere volcano
Sweden
Salmonella outbreak sickens 12 with iceberg lettuce suspected
Syria
Thousands of foreigners unlawfully held in JE Syria
Taiwan
Typhoid reported in as first domestic case of 2021
First imported chikungunya case of the year
Ukraine
First human dirofilariasis case reported in Ukraine this year
United Kingdom
Brazil COVID-19 variant cases report in the UK
United States of America
Maryland reports death in multistate Listeria outbreak
Evacuations as heavy rains cause flooding and dam breach in Maui, Hawaii
U.K. COVID-19 variant detected at most wastewater treatment plants in Houston
Tornado hits South U.S. causing damage in the Southeast
Powerful snow storm with high winds in Western US
Major severe weather outbreak across lower Mississippi Valley into Alabama
Negative polarity sparks G1-Minor geomagnetic storm and auroras in the lower 48
3.1 earthquake 44 miles northeast of Hilo, Hawaii
Legionnaires’ Disease cluster in northern New Jersey
Very bright fireball over Pennsylvania
West Africa
Health ministers join fight against Ebola
Yemen
COVID-19 second wave overwhelms medical facilities with a quarter of casualities children.
20 die after human traffickers force migrants into sea en route to Yemen
At no other time in history have agri-food systems faced more hazards such as extreme weather, locust swarms, megafires, and emerging biological threats than during the Pandemic 2020. This has devastated livelihoods, inflicted negative economic consequences on national levels, that could potentially endure for generations.
According to FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), disasters happen three times more often today than in the 1970s and 1980s.
Agriculture has absorbed 63 percent of the impact, compared to tourism, commerce, and industry.