COP 29: IRC urges global leaders to fund anticipatory climate action as floods and displacement worsen across Africa
Of the 17 climate-vulnerable, conflict-affected countries identified by the IRC, 12 of them are in Africa
As global leaders convene for the COP29 climate conference today, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns of increasing climate-driven disasters that are disproportionately impacting Africa. Of the 17 climate-vulnerable, conflict-affected countries identified by the IRC, 12 of them are in Africa. The IRC urges global leaders and decision-makers at COP29 to utilize anticipatory tools and local expertise to forecast disasters and implement proactive, early-response measures.
In the last five years, millions of people across the continent have been affected by climate shocks like severe flooding and prolonged periods of drought, intensifying crises in regions already burdened by conflict and instability. Flooding across various regions in Africa has led to widespread displacement, severe food insecurity, and alarming public health crises. These extreme weather events are a stark reminder that the climate crisis is no longer a future threat — it is a present-day emergency that requires urgent global action. The agricultural sector in several countries, already weakened by years of conflict and insecurity, is struggling to recover as floodwaters destroy crops and overwhelm farmland.
Chad remains the hardest-hit country in Africa, with floods impacting 1.9 million people this year. Across Central Africa, more than 450,000 people in Cameroon have also been affected, while El Niño-driven rains in Burundi have displaced 200,000 people. The floods have devastated homes and livelihoods, worsened public health, and heightened the spread of waterborne diseases across the region.
Across West Africa, countries like Mali, Niger, and Nigeria have witnessed some of the worst floods in decades. More than 3 million people in West Africa are struggling to cope with the aftermath of these floods, which have destroyed crops, damaged homes, and contributed to sharp increases in cholera, malaria, and malnutrition. The effects of climate change, compounded with armed conflict, are driving unprecedented levels of humanitarian need, displacement and food insecurity in the region.
In East Africa, the humanitarian situation is equally dire. This year, 1.3 million people in South Sudan have been affected by ongoing floods, with a quarter of them displaced from their homes. This year’s powerful El Niño has brought relentless torrential rains across the region, causing catastrophic flooding, deadly landslides, widespread infrastructure damage, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands across Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Uganda. These torrential rains followed one of East Africa’s most prolonged and severe droughts in recent memory, which had affected over 35 million people by the close of 2022.
Bob Kitchen, Vice President for Emergencies at the IRC, said:
Anticipatory action is crucial to how we respond to climate shocks. It enables us to provide earlier and targeted assistance to help populations caught up in the vicious cycle of poverty, conflict, and displacement- challenges exacerbated by climate change. The IRC urges donors to commit 5% of humanitarian budgets to anticipatory actions.
Ahead of COP29, the IRC calls for strengthened climate action for fragile and conflict-affected states, particularly in crisis-affected regions. Key actions include funding anticipatory action, investing in community-based risk reduction, and ensuring flexible, multi-year climate financing. Funding should be robust, enabling communities to recover quickly from disasters and build climate resilience. Community-driven early-warning systems and predictive tools should trigger timely financial aid ahead of foreseeable climate events. Donors should shift from a government-first to a people-first model of financing.
