Parametric insurance, using sensors and AI for rapid payouts based on pre-set triggers, is gaining traction for disaster relief. While lauded for speed, critics question its fairness and potential to profit from calamities.
A progressive advocacy group warns that proposed FEMA reforms could significantly raise the threshold for federal disaster declarations, making relief harder to access for survivors and shifting more burden to states and local governments.
China's national disaster relief bodies have dispatched an additional 5,000 relief items, including tents and folding beds, to Guangxi province to aid earthquake and flood victims. This follows two previous allocations totaling 15,000 items.
The cumulative application rate for South Korea's 1st and 2nd high-oil-price disaster relief funds has surpassed 63%, with nearly 23 million people applying. Jeollanam-do province recorded the highest application rate at 67.4%.
Seven mobile battery manufacturers, including Elecom, and eight telecom operators, including NTT Group, announced a partnership agreement on May 19 to secure power sources for disaster-stricken areas. The system will begin operation on June 1, allowing disaster victims to more easily charge devices like smartphones.
