Disasters cost $228 billion a year in housing losses, UN says on the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
13 October 2026
Marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the UN said communities face $228 billion every year to rebuild housing after disasters.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) said damage to housing accounts for 43 per cent of the direct cost of cyclones, floods, tsunamis and earthquakes.
Citing the Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll 2026, UNDRR said only 27 per cent of warned people with no household plan or confidence could act on a warning, against 83 per cent of those with both.
Secretary-General António Guterres called safer dwellings the shared responsibility of governments, developers, engineers and communities.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it helped 1.4 million people in 2025 across 39 countries with disaster risk reduction programmes.
In plain words
UNDRR United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction — The UN office that coordinates global work to reduce disaster risk.
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN migration agency, which also runs disaster preparedness and recovery work.