African countries worst hit by climate change in 2023  

2023 will remain in history as a year when the forces of nature showed no mercy. Across the continent, hurricanes unleashed their wrath upon vulnerable nations, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.

Madagascar

Massive flooding, and landslides displaced thousands of people after tropical Storm Cheneso affected Madagascar in January 2023. The country’s National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) reported deaths, missing individuals, and over 7,000 individuals displaced. This was after cyclone Freddy affected over 16,000 persons, killing more than 130 people in March 2023, according to the country’s National Risk Management Office.

Mozambique

Mozambique suffered when Freddy tore into the country after destroying a lot in Madagascar. This fierce hurricane came with torrential rains, leading to widespread flooding and mudslides, and affected thousands of people, causing a humanitarian crisis. Over 1,000 people were reported to have died. This is reminiscent of the country's past experiences with Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019.

DR Congo and Rwanda

Thousands were displaced by heavy rains in both DR Congo and Rwanda in April and May. Hundreds of people were killed by the disaster, with some thousands going missing and presumed dead.

Algeria

Over 30 persons including soldiers and mass evacuations perished in the wildfires that raged across Algeria during a blistering heatwave that occurred in July and August, according to TRT Afrika.

Temperatures were as high as 48 degrees Celcius (118 Fahrenheit) in parts of the country recording 97 blazes across 16 provinces.

Libya

This is one of the worst disasters recorded in Africa in 2023. Libya was in the news in the early part of September after two upstream dams in Derna burst, leaving the city in ruins. Floods displaced many and reportedly killed more than 11,000 persons.

Visuals from many local and international media platforms showed the extent of damage suffered by the country as virtually a quarter of the city’s neighbourhoods were wiped off the map.

Other cities in the country, including Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Al-Marj and Soussa also suffered floods caused by Storm Daniel.

The hurricanes of 2023 serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change. According to experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes in Africa are closely linked to global warming. African nations are now compelled to reevaluate their disaster preparedness, invest in early warning systems, and adopt sustainable practices to mitigate the impacts of these extreme weather events.