Disasters can hit at any time and in any place, affecting people from all walks of life. But they tend to hit poor people hardest. Forced to the margins of productive lands, poor people frequently live in areas prone to drought and flooding. Those who are killed, injured or left homeless by earthquakes, fires, floods, mudslides, or hurricanes are often those living in poor housing or in areas of high risk where few would choose to settle. Poverty, then, is a key factor behind emergencies. This is true of natural disasters but also of emergencies resulting from conflict. A scarcity of resources – of land, water, or livestock, for example – is often the initial trigger for violent fighting. And once the fighting has started, poor people are left more vulnerable to the effects of war. In sum, emergencies exacerbate poverty that already existed and cause further poverty.