Climate chaos leaves millions displaced, hundreds dead in Africa

In a grim turn of events, over two million people in the Horn of Africa are grappling with the aftermath of torrential rains and floods, as reported by an AFP tally compiled on Thursday from government and UN sources.

The death toll has soared to almost 300 in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, further intensifying the region’s struggle with its latest climate-related catastrophe.

The heavy rainfall, attributed to the El Nino weather pattern, has struck just as the region is recovering from a 40-year drought, plunging millions into hunger.

Action Against Hunger described the situation as dire, stating, “Regions struggling to recover from the economic and environmental impacts of prolonged drought are now doubly burdened with flooding.”

Despite Africa’s minimal contribution to global carbon emissions, the Horn of Africa remains highly vulnerable to climate change, witnessing increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

The ongoing disaster has exacerbated a severe humanitarian crisis in Somalia, already grappling with poverty and a longstanding Islamist insurgency.

Flooding has claimed over 100 lives and displaced more than a million people. Mogadishu declared a state of emergency earlier this month, terming the flooding as “once in a century,” with warnings of disease proliferation.

The joint UN-Somali statement revealed that 1.5 million children under five face acute malnutrition from August 2023 to July 2024.

UN envoy George Conway emphasized, “Recurrent climate shocks, widespread insecurity, and rampant poverty have pushed the people of Somalia to breaking point.”

The floodwaters threaten to engulf 1.5 million hectares of farmland in December. To alleviate the crisis, the Somalia government announced receiving 25,000 tonnes of grain from Russia, with another 25,000 tonnes expected later this month.

Meanwhile, Kenya faces a death toll of 136 and over 460,000 displaced, while Ethiopia mourns 57 lives lost and 600,000 displaced.

Cholera has struck the Somali region in eastern Ethiopia, claiming 23 lives with 772 confirmed cases, according to Save the Children.

The humanitarian situation is dire, prompting urgent calls for swift action by governments and donors to provide clean drinking water and sanitation facilities for communities displaced by floodwaters, lest the cholera outbreak spiral out of control.

The UN’s World Food Program warns that despite narrowly avoiding famine, a quarter of Somalia’s population, 4.3 million people, is projected to face crisis-level hunger by year-end.