Charity boss calls for change in language used

Sanj Srikanthan, ShelterBox CEO, says language needs to change

The CEO of a Cornwall disaster relief charity has issued an open letter to UK media about the term natural disaster.

ShelterBox's CEO Sanj Srikanthan said the use of the word natural could be damaging.

The charity has helped more than 2.5 million displaced people in 98 countries since 2000, with emergency shelter, support and essential household items.

Mr Srikanthan said language used around disasters could "fail to acknowledge the complex interplay between nature and the role of human actions and how they impact communities around the world".

ShelterBox responds to earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and extreme weather like storms, drought, and flooding, which occur because of natural processes on Earth.

In the open letter Mr Srikanthan said: "While the term ["natural"] may seem harmless, and we’ve not always got it right, we’ve learnt, through our ongoing work with disaster affected communities, how it perpetuates a dangerous myth that nothing could have been done to prevent people being so badly affected.

"This misleading and harmful narrative can lead to a lack of action to help people who need it."

He added: "When we frame disasters as 'natural’, we fail to acknowledge the complex interplay between nature and the role of human actions and how they impact communities around the world.

"A disaster is not a natural occurrence, but a result of systemic inequalities in access to resources and power.

"Where we live and how much money we have often determines our ability to recover."

He said it should be described as "disaster" or more specific terms describing the extreme weather, earthquake or tsunami.