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Discussing the Africa Horn’s climate refugee crisis with an expert

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Nairobi, Kenya
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As COP28 continues, critical discourse surrounding climate change is unfolding. While sweeping decarbonization plans take center stage, immediate relief in the African Horn doesn’t appear to be forthcoming. Can we amplify the discourse of those most affected, we ask an expert on the subject.

As Thred has covered across several recent stories, the Horn of Africa, comprising countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Sudan, is grappling with the severe consequences of climate change.

From prolonged droughts to erratic rainfall patterns and increased frequency of extreme weather events, the impact is profound. Refugees, who have already fled conflict and persecution, now face the ceaseless adversary of environmental degradation.

Recent analyses of climate adaptation strategies reveal a stark reality: the very people who are most vulnerable to climate change are often neglected in action plans to prevent its impacts. This, disappointingly, has been the case at COP28 thus far.

The Horn of Africa’s refugee populations are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, insecurity, and now, climate-induced hardships. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 22 million people are displaced annually due to climate-fueled disasters.

Year after year, the situation for refugees in the Horn of Africa worsens. Displaced communities, already struggling to meet their basic needs now contend with the loss of arable land, water scarcity, and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Many such communities are on the brink.

Credit: Derrick Wachaya

On a zoom call with Danish Refugee Council senior data-analyst, Alexander Kjaerum, based in Somalia, he highlighted the worsening impact of extreme weather on the continent. Mr. Kjaerum noted that in 2022, twice as many people were displaced by climate than conflict in Somalia and South Sudan alone.

He asserts that climate change disproportionately affects developing countries, which happen to host 80% of the world’s refugees. Nations with the highest such populations have on average received $9 per capita in climate adaptation financing annually in the past 10 years.

Those hosting the least, however, received $35 per capita every 12 months. This disparity worsens in conflict-affected regions, where adaptation funding is frequently withdrawn.

‘Without ambitious climate action and focus on the intersection between conflict, climate change, and displacement, DRC data shows climate-related disasters could double the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance to over 200 million each year by 2050.’ said Mr. Kjaerum.

Of the impacts he alluded to, water scarcity has become one of the most severe. The region’s refugees are often reliant on precarious water sources, and climate change-induced droughts have heightened competition for this precious resource.

Access to clean water – which should be a fundamental human right – is habitually compromised, leading to increased health risks and the exacerbation of existing challenges.


COP28 and the call for inclusive action

As the international community converges at COP28, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in climate action, a shift that recognizes and prioritizes the needs of refugees in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

It is imperative for global leaders to acknowledge the intersectionality of crises facing these communities and integrate their concerns into broader climate policies. After all, they’re dealing with the real-life affects day-to-day.

Where previous summits have faltered, devising inclusive adaptation measures, such as the development of resilient infrastructure, sustainable livelihood programs, and equitable resource distribution, needs to happen at COP28.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiHm4OgmoeA

The voices of refugees, often silenced and marginalized, should be amplified to ensure that their unique perspectives and experiences shape the policies that will impact their lives. Instead, grandiose decarbonization plans take precedence from the West and ambiguous technologies are touted.

Delegates should remember that the climate crisis is a human crisis, and nowhere is this more evident than in Africa’s Horn. At present, those most affected are heard least. It’s absurd.

As the world addresses the climate crisis, let it be a collective effort – one that embraces the diversity of human experiences and ensures a future where no one is left behind. We’re not holding our breath, though.

Contributing Writer Nairobi, Kenya

I’m Derrick (He/Him), a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from the Technical University of Mombasa, Kenya. Currently I write about trending topics and major issues affecting Africa for Thred, specifically concerning SDGs. View my Twitter here if you’d like to send me feedback.

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