Disasters, Conflicts and Migration
Natural Disasters |
||
Type |
Occurs |
Comments / Details |
Drought |
Yes |
Rare droughts hit the country. |
Earthquakes |
Yes |
Seismic hazard in Egypt is highest at the southern end of the Gulf of Suez, the northern Red Sea and around the Gulf of Aqaba, the location of the active plate boundaries. The highest risk is the southern end of the Dead Sea Transform. 1992: A 5.8 magnitude quake occurred at 15:09 pm on 12 October, with an epicentre near Dahshur, 35 km south of Cairo. The quake was unusually destructive for its size, causing 545 deaths, injuring 6,512 and making 50,000 people homeless. It was the most damaging event to affect Cairo since 1847 (Source: Wikipedia) · 1995: A 7.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred on 22 November at 04:15 am, in the eastern part of Egypt. At least 8 people were killed and 30 were injured in the epicentre region. Damage occurred across much of north-eastern Egypt as far away as Cairo. |
Epidemics |
Yes |
Very rare, however the most repeated epidemic is cholera as it occurred in 1831 / 1847-1848 / 1865 / 1881 / 1902 /1947. |
Extreme Temperatures |
Yes |
An extremely hot, dry and dusty wind blows from the south or the southwest. This wind is called khamasīn. When the flow of dry air continuously blows over vast desert regions, it picks up fine sand and dust particles and finally results in a dusty wind which is generally felt in the periphery of the desert. When this wind blows over Egypt, it causes high temperatures to soar temporarily at dangerous levels, usually over 45 °C (113 °F), the relative humidity levels to drop under 5%. The khamasīn causes sudden, early heat waves and the absolute highest temperature records in Egypt. |
Flooding |
Yes |
Nile floods have been contained since 1970 upon the completion of the High Dam at Aswan. Flash floods however are caused by high intensity short-duration storms and are primarily dominated by overland flow rainstorms in Sinai. |
Insect Infestation |
No |
N/A |
Mudslides |
No |
N/A |
Volcanic Eruptions |
No |
N/A |
High Waves / Surges |
Yes |
Since 1995 there have been three tsunamis recorded in the Mediterranean Sea with waves exceeding 2m in height. |
Wildfires |
No |
N/A |
High Winds |
Yes |
Al khamseen wind: when the flow of dry air continuously blows over vast desert regions, it picks up fine sand and dust particles and finally results in a dusty wind which is generally felt in the periphery of the desert. When this wind blows over Egypt, it causes high temperatures to soar temporarily at dangerous levels, usually over 45 °C (113 °F), the relative humidity levels to drop under 5%. The khamasīn causes sudden, early heat waves and the absolute highest temperature records in Egypt. |
Man-Made Issues |
||
Refugees Present |
Yes |
Per a UNHCR statistical report (July 2019 rollout) the total number of refugees has reached 249,709 POC, out of which 131,433* are Syrians and 118,276 from other nationalities. *All Syrians who approached UNHCR Egypt after 2011 are registered as asylum seekers and do not undergo refugee status determination but are considered as Refugees |
For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile.
Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities
Seasonal Effects on Transport |
||
Transport Type |
Time Frame |
Comments / Details |
Primary Road Transport |
From December to February |
During the rainy season roads can get blocked, especially in the north coast, the Sinai province, the Red Sea governorate and in the South, where intercity and highways become affected by floods. |
Secondary Road Transport |
From December to February |
Blocks may occur, especially when there are floods and/or when secondary roads/small bridges are washed away. This may disrupt the movement of personnel and agricultural products, causing inflation in the local market for certain products. |
Rail Transport |
From December to February |
More reliable during rainy seasons. However, still affected by floods, low visibility levels, and sand storms, causing suspension of services ranging from hours to days. |
Air Transport |
From March to June |
Sand storms, mists and fog decrease the visibility and affect navigation systems' capacity, causing temporary closure of airport activities for hours/days. |
Waterway Transport |
From December to February |
Heavy rain, storm and wind could disrupt the marine vessels movements, causing temporary closure of ports' activities for hours/ days. |
Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling |
||
Activity Type |
Time Frame |
Comments / Details |
Storage |
From December to February From May to August |
Rain, moist, wind floods, sand storms usually disrupt the warehousing activities, causing temporary closure of activities for days. Heat and humidity: in Upper Egypt’s locations the heat goes up to exceed 50 degrees Celsius and humidity to 70% which effects the non-climate controlled warehouses, also affecting the quality of stored goods, especially food and sensitive items. |
Handling |
All over the year |
During harvest/tourist seasons the demand of manpower increases. |
Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response
Government
Egypt has sufficient capacity in terms of man power and infrastructure to respond to emergencies.
For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Egypt Government Contact List
Humanitarian Community
For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Egypt Humanitarian Agency Contact List