Quote of the Day
“I am here today, because our building did not collapse.” — Mustafa Kemal Kılınç
Mustafa Kemal Kılınç spoke these words at the United Nations on May 18, 2023, while recounting his experience of the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria that February.
He explained that his building had survived because the contractor followed high earthquake-resistant construction standards. Many other buildings had collapsed.
Think about that for a moment.
Someone made a decision about how a building should be constructed, long before an earthquake struck.
Perhaps nobody noticed that decision at the time.
Perhaps the people living there never imagined that the quality of the construction would one day determine whether they survived.
But when disaster came, that decision mattered.
We often associate responsibility with what people do when something goes wrong.
The officials who arrive after a flood. The emergency workers searching through collapsed buildings. The neighbours helping families who have lost everything.
Their work matters.
But what about the people whose decisions could have prevented some of that suffering?
The contractor who chooses building materials. The official responsible for enforcing safety standards. The community leader who knows that people are living in a dangerous area but says nothing.
Their decisions matter too.
Sometimes, protecting lives does not begin with a dramatic act of courage.
It begins with someone doing their job properly, even when nobody is watching.
How many tragedies could we prevent if we took our responsibilities seriously before something went wrong?
Source: United Nations General Assembly — Statement by Mustafa Kemal Kılınç, May 18, 2023.
Did You Know?
A disaster can destroy a home long before anyone realizes how unsafe it is.
A family builds a house.
They save for years, buy materials and finally move in.
The children have somewhere to sleep. There is a kitchen, a sitting room and perhaps a little space outside.
Everything seems fine.
But what if the house stands in an area that floods regularly? What if the walls cannot withstand strong winds? What if nobody has explained what the family should do when an emergency warning arrives?
These questions matter more than we sometimes realize.
Today, October 13, is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The 2026 theme, announced by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, is “Resilience Starts at Home.”
According to figures released by the agency on October 13, housing accounts for 43% of direct economic disaster losses reported by countries through the Sendai Framework Monitor.
That is not just about damaged buildings.
It is about families losing the places where they cook, sleep, raise children and keep their belongings.
And some families have fewer choices than others.
A household may know that its neighbourhood floods but have nowhere affordable to move. Another may understand the importance of stronger construction materials but lack the money to purchase them.
This is why disaster prevention cannot be left to individual families alone.
Governments must enforce building standards, provide reliable warnings and ensure that safer housing is accessible. Communities can also help by sharing information and checking on neighbours who may need assistance.
A home should be more than somewhere to live.
It should also be somewhere people can feel safe.
Sources: UNDRR — International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction · UNDRR — Sendai Framework Monitor.
For Discussion
When families live in areas exposed to flooding, landslides or other hazards, who should be responsible for helping them stay safe?
And in our communities, are we doing enough to prevent disasters, or do we only become concerned after people have lost their homes and livelihoods?
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