"The 1997-1998 El Niño resulted in the death of more than 21,000 people in 27 countries around the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization; in all, 117 million people were affected.
Morbidity affected some 540,000 people, while 4.9 million were displaced and made homeless.
Several economic estimates of the global loss during this El Niño have been made: these range from US$ 14 billionfor structural losses, to more than US$ 34 billion, which included socio-economic impacts.
The form of the impact varied in different communities, with high material and structural losses incurred by developed economies, while loss of life dominated in less developed communities."
Source: GESAMP71:44
GESAMP (IMO/FAO/UNESCO-IOC/WMO/WHO/IAEA/ UN/UNEP Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection). 2001. Protecting the oceans from land-based activities - Land-based sources and activities affecting the quality and uses of the marine, coastal and associated freshwater environment. Rep. Stud. GESAMP No. 71, 162 pp. ISBN 82-7701-011-7.