Drought and desertification in Africa are causing mass migration – President Nyusi

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Drought and desertification in Africa are causing mass migration – President Nyusi

9:43 CAT | 18 Jun 2024

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File photo: Lusa

Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi said on Monday that drought and desertification in Africa are causing mass migration, and called for the implementation of programmes to reduce the risk of natural disasters.

“Drought and the progression of desertification in Africa cause mass migrations, due to hunger and food insecurity, a scenario that can be reversed, as together we can create a promising legacy for future generations in the face of climate change,” President Nyusi said.

The head of state, as ‘champion’ of the African Union for disaster risk management and reduction, urged the adoption of measures to mitigate natural disasters in a message allusive to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

“I urge the populations and governments of African Union member states to commit to disaster risk reduction programs through environmental conservation and ecological restoration of degraded areas,” the message reads.

Studies by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), President Nyusi continued, indicate that 2023 was the hottest year since the pre-industrial period (1850-1900), with temperatures in Africa increasing on average by 1.45°C, which should worry all members of the African Union.
“In 2023, intense heat waves resulted in forest fires, the death of 34 people and the [evacuation] of 1,500 people in Algeria,” the text notes.

The Mozambican head of state pointed out that more than 24 million people in southern Africa face hunger, malnutrition and water shortages due to drought.

Source: Lusa