Hassan Istiila
Thursday June 20, 2024
A man carries a sack through floodwater in Beledweyne, central Somalia. Flash flooding in central Somalia has killed 22 people and affected over 450,000, the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said. Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP/Getty Images
Mogadishu (HOL) - Oxfam, an international charity organization, revealed alarming statistics indicating that water-related disasters displaced nearly eight million people in ten of the world's most severely impacted countries in 2023.
The charity organization said in a statement released on Thursday, on World Refugee Day, that the figure represents a staggering 120% increase from a decade ago, highlighting the growing threat posed by climate change.
The Global Internal Displacement Database lists Somalia, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Malaysia as the nations with the highest number of displacements due to floods and droughts. The number of displacements in these countries surged from 3.5 million in 2013 to 7.9 million last year.
Oxfam's Water Insecurity and Climate Policy Coordinator, Nuzhat Nueary, emphasized the profound injustice of the climate crisis. "Climate injustice is rife. From the scores dying from scorching heat in Bangladesh to the thousands forced to flee floods in Pakistan, it is the most vulnerable people – and those least responsible for the climate crisis – who are bearing the brunt, while rich polluting nations continue to do too little too late to help them," Nueary stated.
"Climate change and El Niño weather patterns have supercharged droughts, floods and cyclones. All these disasters have knock-on effects on people's lives and livelihoods and compounded by conflict, economic shocks and deep inequalities, they have fueled hunger. Ultimately, mass movements put pressure on the limited water resources creating further water stress in these countries," Nueary added.
Due to climate change, the frequency and intensity of water-related disasters have increased significantly. Oxfam's data shows that recorded flood and drought events in these ten countries soared from 24 in 2013 to 656 in 2023. Somalia experienced 223 flood or drought events last year, a stark increase from just two in 2013. The Philippines saw 74 such events compared to three a decade ago, Brazil 79 compared to four, and Malaysia 127 compared to one.
Globally, floods and droughts displaced over 3.4 million people in 2023, comparable to the entire population of Uruguay. In Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, and Somalia—countries among the least peppered to cope climate change—the number of people facing acute hunger has skyrocketed from 14 million in 2013 to over 55 million in 2023.
Somalia has suffered from a continuous rise in temperatures (1.5°C, up from 1°C in 1991), leading to more frequent and prolonged droughts, often followed by flash floods and cyclones. Despite contributing less than 0.03% of global carbon emissions, Somalia has lost billions of dollars from recurring floods and droughts. Recovering from the last December floods alone was estimated at $230 million.
The most recent Deyr rainy season - which followed five consecutive seasons of drought displaced 1.2 million people and killed 118, exacerbating the ongoing conflict, political instability, and economic shocks, leaving almost half of Somalia's population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
A displaced father in Baidoa, in the Bay region of Somalia, Hassan Mohamed, recounted his harrowing experience: "I lost all my animals to the drought. I fled on foot with my children, and it took me three days to get to Baidoa. It was a difficult journey. I had no food or water for my children. Some got sick along the way."
In Bangladesh, unpredictable cyclones and other water-related disasters displaced more than 1.8 million people in 2023 and caused severe damage to infrastructure. Despite contributing only 0.56% of global carbon emissions, Bangladesh ranks as the seventh most vulnerable nation to the impacts of climate change.
Oxfam's Senior Program Officer in Bangladesh, Zerin Ahmed, highlighted the dire situation: "With no crops or income, families have been forced to move, some multiple times. Those who are left behind live in constant fear about the future, as cycles of consecutive disasters have depleted all their resources."
Nueary called for urgent action from wealthy, polluting nations to address this crisis. "Ending people's suffering is possible. Rich polluting nations must cut emissions and provide adequate climate finance to countries most impacted by the climate crisis so that they can cope better and rebuild after climate shocks."
She also emphasized the importance of funding the new loss and damage scheme and supporting local communities on the frontline of climate response, particularly vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and indigenous communities.
Oxfam's report underscores the urgent need for global cooperation and meaningful action to address the escalating impacts of climate change on the world's most vulnerable populations.