Learn English – Word for “stealing things during natural disasters”

single-word-requests

What is the word for "stealing things during natural disasters"? For example, two guys are listening to the news and hear that there will be a huge typhoon tomorrow, and that there will also be no electricity. So, these two guys decide to steal things from a shop on the day of the disaster.

Is there any single word for "stealing things during natural disasters"?

Best Answer

Looting. See the Wikipedia article on Looting, specifically in cases of catastrophe, sense (1) natural disaster.

Quoting from Wikipedia:

Looting, also referred to as sacking, ransacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging, is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as war, natural disaster, or rioting. The term is also used in a broader sense to describe egregious instances of theft and embezzlement, such as the "plundering" of private or public assets by governments. Looting is loosely distinguished from scavenging in terms of objects taken: scavenging implies taking of essential items such as food, water, shelter, or other material needed for survival while looting implies items not necessary for survival such as luxury goods, art work, precious metals or other assorted items of value to the looters. The proceeds of all these activities can be described as loot, plunder, spoils, or pillage.

Looting during a riot or a natural disaster is deemed a despicable act and historically (as recently as the 2005 hurricane Katrina in New Orleans) in the United States there have been occasions when it has been sanctioned for police or even civilians to "shoot looters on sight." See http://www.volokh.com/posts/1125599174.shtml

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