The Kuwait Towers are three thin towers in Kuwait City overlooking the Persian Gulf.

Below are a few of the disasters that Kuwait experiences:

Floods 

• Flash floods occur when heavy rainfall exceeds the drainage capacity of urban areas.
• Floods are caused by sudden heavy rainfall and inadequate drainage infrastructure.

Fires

• In June 2024, a fire killed at least 42 people and injured over 50 others in a building housing migrant workers in Kuwait. 
• In 1991, the Iraqi military set fire to oil wells and oil-filled areas while retreating from Kuwait. 

Earthquakes 

• Kuwait is located near the Zagros seismic belt, making it vulnerable to earthquakes.

Oil spills

• In 1991, the Iraqi military set fire to oil wells and oil-filled areas while retreating from Kuwait. 
• The fires released toxic metals and carcinogenic constituents into the atmosphere for several months. 

I enjoyed my time in Kuwait, but I was amazed at the incredible expertise from the physicians and the nurses that come from all over the world to work there.

Though other countries experience similar types of disasters, infrastructure and expertise is critical in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

This is why it is so important that we share information and not work in silos. We need to learn from disaster responses in other countries. If a similar disaster happened in your country, are you prepared?

Have you considered rural communities where there is limited access to healthcare and roads and how you would support those individuals?

These are just a few examples, but there are so many more…

My call to action for you all is to look into these disasters and identify mitigation strategies that can be implemented in your country.

#adventureswithnursejamla