Extreme weather events like the storm that devastated Vanuatu over the weekend are expected to increase in frequency in the coming years. Four out of every five disasters were related to climate change in the last two decades.

According to the database managed by the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters, the average number of climate-related disasters was 44 percent higher than between 1994 and 2000. The average has become over the twice the level during the 1980s.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said at a disaster risk reduction conference in Japan that extreme weather events have become the “new normal” because of climate change. He added that in the last 20 years, more than four out of every five disasters are associated with climate change. “The economic toll is as high as $300 billion every year,” said Ki-moon.

People killed by natural disasters in developing countries account for about 95 percent of total deaths. Cyclone Pam had caused destruction Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands before hitting Vanuatu.

After the wake of the storm, Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale has stressed the importance of the long-term effects of the disaster. He remarked that his country’s hopes for the prospering in the future “have been sedated.”

SMH reports that Australia’s neighbouring countries are vulnerable to extreme weather events. In the latest World Risk Index collated by the United Nations University, five of the 10 countries that are most prone to disasters are near Australia. Vanuatu topped the list while the Philippines, the country devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan 16 months ago, was ranked in second place. Other countries close to Australia in the Top 10 were Tonga, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

In the wake of disasters, Australia has become the most equipped country to lead major humanitarian missions in the region. The country contributes about 60 percent of aid in the Pacific Islands. Australia is working closely with Vanuatu to bring immediate relief to the people affected by Cyclone Pam, reports The Guardian.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said three military planes were sent containing supplies and aid workers bound for Port Vila. The Australian government has offered Red Cross and the United Nations a total of $5 million in assistance.

To report problems or leave feedback on this article, contact: r.su@ibtimes.com.au

RELATED STORIES