The world should be braced to expect three to five big urban disasters in the next 10 years, the Disasters Emergency Committee warned.

It said preparation for these disasters was needed now and revealed that the catastrophes aid workers feared most were earthquakes affecting the large cities of Tehran in Iran, Istanbul in Turkey or Kathmandu in Nepal.

The report was commissioned following the devastation caused in the Haiti earthquake last year which killed more than 300,000 people.

Working closely with local traders, businesses, communities and government following such disasters was particularly important, the report said.

It also suggested prioritising support for permanent resettlement in existing neighbourhoods, rather than focusing on working in camps or providing temporary shelter.

The 950 million people now living in urban slums would be particularly vulnerable during any disaster.