Somalia's Women and Girls are Victims of Climate Change

May 11, 2023 | Amal Hassan
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Hospitals are filled to capacity with shrieking children and worried mothers. Doctors are rushing, trying to save the lives of many, already knowing that they won’t be able to assist all. Fathers are quiet, unsure of how to comfort their loved ones, and unsure of how to make ends meet. Families arrive in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, with little belongings and no livestock — and no way to make a living.

Somalia is currently experiencing devasting conditions rooted in several man-made crises. Drought, famine, and gender-based violence are all wreaking havoc in the country, burdening the lives of women, girls, men, and boys — and all of these crises are rooted in climate change. But Somalia has contributed to less than 0.003% of global greenhouse gas emissions.