The impending 'super' El Niño event is poised to exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly affecting women's health and economic opportunities in East and Southern Africa. This climate phenomenon, characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, triggers droughts in some regions and increased rainfall in others. The current El Niño is expected to be more severe due to high forecasted temperature rises and the exacerbation of weather patterns by the climate crisis.
Walter Mwasaa, the regional director for CARE International in East and Southern Africa, emphasizes the disproportionate impact on women. He argues that women in both rural and urban areas will face significant health challenges and will bear the burden of caring for families and households. This is supported by research showing that climate-induced disasters lead to a 40% rise in child marriage in Bangladesh and force girls in Somaliland to walk for hours to collect water instead of attending school. Additionally, during times of poor harvest, pregnant women and babies require dietary diversity, which is often prioritized over the education of daughters.
The super El Niño poses a critical threat to smallholder farmers, with global agricultural output projected to take a $342 billion hit. This, in turn, threatens incomes and food security across the African continent. The situation is further complicated by the devastating impact of aid cuts, particularly on women and girls. CARE's programming in East and Southern Africa has been significantly reduced due to foreign aid cuts, with the budget expected to fall from $250 million in 2024 to $140 million by 2027. This has led to the closure of health and nutrition centers in countries like Ethiopia and Somalia, where two million children are currently acutely malnourished.
Mr. Mwasaa highlights the challenge of diversifying funding sources, as private sector partnerships may not always align with the needs of African communities. He expresses hope in the form of pan-African cooperation, noting that African countries have pledged support for each other during health crises and that national governments are taking food security more seriously. However, he acknowledges that this kind of ownership is crucial for development to succeed in the future.
