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A disaster can be hard on people even if they aren't 
physically hurt by it. They may lose their homes, their jobs, 
or even their family members. It can take years for people 
to recover from the effects of such losses, and as a result 
disaster relief workers have now started providing more 
psychological support to those affected by disasters. 
A deadly earthquake struck India in January 2001. The 
Indian and American Red Cross organizations worked 
together to develop a program to give counseling to the 
victims. They trained local psychologists to help survivors 
talk about the disaster and what they would face in the 
future. This helped the 
survivors take the 
first steps toward 
putting their 

lives back 
together. 
In some cases, the worst health problems happen in the 
days following a disaster. Damage to sewer systems can 
make water unsafe to drink, and people who drink water 
that has been made unsafe by damaged sewer systems can 
develop serious illnesses such as cholera and typhoid fever. 
Cholera victims suffer intense dehydration. Their 
bodies lose so much water that the illness rapidly becomes 
life-threatening. Quick medical help often saves many 
cholera victims, but delays can be fatal. 
In contrast to cholera victims, typhoid fever victims 
suffer from a steady fever that can run as high as 104°F, 
along with weakness and head and stomach pains. Modern 
medicines work effectively against typhoid fever, but it is 
important that they are administered quickly, for without 
treatment, this illness can be deadly. The efforts of medical 
workers, combined with the clean drinking water brought 
by relief workers, can keep people healthy after a disaster. 
Flooding can damage 
sewer systems and make 
water unsafe to drink. 
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