Nairobi — The torrential rains, which come after years of drought and have been attributed to both human-induced climate change and the tail end of the naturally occurring El Niño weather pattern , have displaced over 420,000 people with at least 330 killed due to unusually heavy flooding in all three countries.
On top of the naturally occurring El Niño which is currently winding down after beginning in June last year, human-induced climate change is making these kinds of extreme weather events more frequent and severe. This year, El Nino has contributed to global warming temperatures, accelerating these climate change impacts, to which the Horn of Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world.
Fatima*, 60, and her grandchildren fled their home in central Beledweyne region in Somalia six months ago due to flooding. The family now lives in a camp for displaced people in Galkayo. Fatima's daughter died two years ago, making her the sole guardian for her six grandchildren. "Children are bearing the brunt of more extreme weather events in an increasingly unequal world. We need to see much more ambition on child-responsive climate finance from high-income countries and historical emitters that that puts children's distinct needs and vulnerabilities front and centre - recognising that when disaster like these floods strikes, it affects a child's whole world.
Across Ethiopia, heavy rains and floods since early April have affected 590,000 people and has caused significant damage to homes, infrastructure and farms, exacerbating the impact of the conflict, drought and ongoing cholera outbreak.