The upcoming COP28 climate conference in Dubai is crucial for
Africa, a continent that the rising climate crisis has severely
impacted. Recent climate-related disasters have inflicted over $8.5
billion of economic damage and even exacerbated challenges in
fragile nations such as Somalia and Sudan. According to the
International Monetary Fund, these particularly vulnerable states
have endured a cumulative GDP loss of about 4% three years after
extreme weather events.
Droughts, storms, and floods haven't just compromised
agriculture, the backbone of fragile economies, they've also
contributed to conflict: in Somalia, terrorist-controlled
territories have faced food insecurity during prolonged droughts,
hindering humanitarian efforts, while in central Mali, floods have
been exacerbated by farmers fleeing local wars.
