Red Cross: “A series of disasters” in the Horn of Africa due to climate change | outside
The Red Cross fears that countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya will be exposed to more floods. The Horn of Africa has been suffering from floods for days, while rainfall has not yet reached its peak. As a result, crops are at risk of failure.
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Tanzania are experiencing the worst floods in forty years. Dozens of deaths also occurred in different countries. The Red Cross said on Friday that aid workers in Kenya were having to rely on boats to reach affected areas. The relief organization speaks of a “series of disasters” in the region.
These countries had previously suffered from the worst drought in more than forty years. As a result, it is now more difficult for the ground to absorb rainwater, which contributes to flooding.
The El Niño climate phenomenon, in which sea waters rise in certain parts of the Pacific Ocean, also likely plays a role in extreme weather conditions. According to the Red Cross, climate change also has an “amplifying effect” on weather phenomena. “As a result, rainfall has become heavier than during the previous El Niño event in 2020,” the relief organization says.
“Thousands of people have lost their homes and many have been displaced,” said Dirk Segar, head of international aid at the Red Cross. “These are the people who have contributed the least to climate change, but they are the most affected.”
Segar hopes that the Dubai climate summit will decide to invest in making vulnerable areas climate resilient. “These countries are now receiving the least funding to adapt to a changing climate, while bearing the brunt of the consequences. World leaders must make this a real priority at this climate summit.”
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