Devastating floods and droughts have swept across Africa in recent months, leaving thousands of people bereft of their most cherished possessions. These losses are the latest blow to countries already battling conflict, displacement, and economic turmoil.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN agency, issued a warning on Monday, stating that “extreme weather and climate change impacts are hitting every single aspect of socio-economic development in Africa and exacerbating hunger, insecurity and displacement.” The findings are part of a broader report highlighting the intensifying effects of climate change on the African continent.
According to the WMO, the average surface temperature across Africa in 2024 was approximately 0.86°C above the 1991–2020 average. North Africa experienced the highest temperature anomaly, at 1.28°C above average, making it the fastest-warming region on the continent.
Marine temperatures also reached unprecedented levels. The WMO reported that “particularly large increases in sea surface temperatures have been observed in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.” Marine heatwaves of strong to extreme intensity affected nearly the entire ocean area surrounding Africa, especially the tropical Atlantic.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described climate change as an “urgent and escalating problem across the African continent,” pointing to widespread flooding and persistent droughts affecting various regions.
The agency noted that the El Niño weather phenomenon, active from 2023 into early 2024, “played major roles in rainfall patterns” across Africa. These climatic disruptions displaced 700,000 people across the continent last year, pushing communities into further hardship.
The impact in Nigeria was particularly deadly. In northern Nigeria, 230 people perished in floods last September, with 600,000 displaced in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Hospitals were badly damaged, and water sources in displacement camps became contaminated.
Across West Africa, rising waters from torrential rains affected a staggering four million people. In contrast, countries like Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe faced their worst droughts in at least 20 years. Cereal production plummeted, with harvests in Zambia and Zimbabwe falling 43% and 50% below the five-year average, respectively.
Droughts, Floods Displace Thousands Yearly
Heatwaves continue to threaten health and development, with the last decade registering as the warmest on record. Data shows that 2024 was either the warmest or second-warmest year, depending on the source. In South Sudan, schools shut down in March 2024 after temperatures soared to 45°C. Globally, at least 242 million schoolchildren were affected by climate-related disruptions, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNICEF.
As climate patterns become more erratic, agriculture across the continent suffers. The result is a growing food crisis and increasing displacement, especially among populations already fleeing conflict. WMO warns that North African countries are becoming particularly water-scarce and food-insecure.
In South Sudan alone, flooding in October 2024 affected 300,000 people—an alarming figure in a nation of 13 million. The flooding wiped out livestock, with 30 to 34 million farm animals lost. This equates to roughly two animals per person. With stagnant floodwaters fostering disease and destroying livelihoods, many families who once thrived on self-sufficiency now require humanitarian aid.
“When someone slides back into being fed, it affects their dignity,” said Meshack Malo, South Sudan Country Representative for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
South Sudan remains at the epicenter of climate change challenges. The nation’s economy, heavily dependent on oil, has been severely disrupted by the war in neighboring Sudan, further straining resources. Domestic tensions and escalating violence compound the hardship.
“This cyclic change between floods and drought, makes the country affected almost a good part of the year,” Malo explained. He added that flooding has grown more frequent and severe, “so that intensity and frequency makes this situation worse.”
Access to many areas is so compromised that UN agencies like the World Food Programme must resort to airlifting aid — a costly method at a time when humanitarian budgets are shrinking.
Despite the challenges, local initiatives offer hope. In Kapoeta, a town in South Sudan, the FAO has successfully reduced dry months from six to two by collecting and storing water to protect crops. “The impact of drought is no longer felt as much,” Malo said, emphasizing the potential for adaptive strategies to lessen climate shocks.
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