According to a study published this week by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), El Niño, which is gradually arriving in the Horn of Africa, will significantly worsen flooding during the next rainy season. According to the NGO's models, which focused on four East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, and South Sudan), this climate phenomenon is expected to affect up to 10 million people, leading to the forced displacement of a large portion of this group.
The main conclusion of the forecasts is that, in the worst-case scenario, there could be 3 million displaced people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. Pauline Wesolek, communication advisor for the DRC in the East Africa and Great Lakes region, warned in an interview with RFI about the severity of the projections and the need for immediate preparation.
The article also mentions other impacts related to El Niño, such as the record number of 15,800 heat-related deaths recorded in Germany during the summer, in addition to droughts and heavy rains that led Panama to declare a state of emergency due to reduced maritime traffic.
