Floods and drought: how does climate extremism worsen Africa's crises?
The World Meteorological Organization reports that 13 million people in Africa have been affected by climate extremes, while the United Nations puts the number facing food insecurity at more than 300 million of the continent's roughly 1.8 billion inhabitants. Floods in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo killed hundreds of people and damaged housing, roads and crops, while drought affects large parts of East and West Africa. Climate projections cited in the article point to above-normal rainfall in parts of Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan in the last quarter of the year, and to below-normal rainfall and extended dry spells in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Madagascar.
Why it matters: The article ties climate extremes to the briefing's food security theme, showing how floods and drought cut crop and livestock output and are expected to drive higher assistance needs in 2027.