Africa’s climate whiplash: Lives lost, homes washed away, futures uncertain

Hundreds of people have been killed and millions displaced as devastating floods sweep across Africa—striking in the wake of a crippling drought that had already wiped out livelihoods.

What was once episodic is now part of a troubling pattern of climate extremes across the continent, where countries swing from drought to torrential rains, cyclones, and devastating floods.

“What we are seeing across parts of Southern, Eastern and Central Africa is a well-documented climate pattern often described as ‘climate whiplash’: rapid swings from prolonged drought to intense flooding within the same or consecutive seasons,” Marie Roseline Belizaire, head of emergency at the World Health Organization’s Africa office tells TRT Afrika.

The region’s recent trajectory tells the story starkly. Southern Africa emerged from the devastating 2023–2024 El Niño–driven drought—one of the worst in decades—only to be thrust into La Niña–linked heavy rains and flooding in late 2025 and early 2026.

Climate whiplash

Between mid-December 2025 and February 2026, floods and cyclones affected an estimated 1.9 million people, claimed more than 370 lives, and displaced over 175,000 others—particularly in Mozambique, Madagascar, and South Africa. Yet the destruction extends far beyond submerged homes and washed-out roads.

Floodwaters are also cutting off access to health services, contaminating drinking water, and crippling sanitation systems. In their wake comes a surge in disease: cholera, acute watery diarrhoea, malaria, and respiratory infections. Routine care—maternal services, HIV and tuberculosis treatment, and immunization programmes—faces dangerous disruption.

“In other words, communities are not only losing livelihoods and shelter; they are also facing a secondary public health emergency,” Belizaire warns. “The cholera outbreak that was almost under control in Mozambique has surged again following the floods and is still ongoing. Namibia, Zimbabwe and Malawi are also seeing spikes in malaria cases.”

Among the hardest hit is Mozambique, which accounts for nearly half of those affected across the region. In response, the World Health Organization is working closely with governments and partners to blunt the crisis.

Once disaster strikes, teams move quickly to assess damage and coordinate health responses—deploying disease surveillance systems, delivering cholera kits and essential medicines, setting up mobile clinics, and strengthening water, sanitation, and hygiene services in displacement sites. Emergency obstetric and newborn care is also prioritized.

“The priority is to save lives while preventing a second crisis driven by disease outbreaks and the disruption of essential services,” Belizaire emphasizes.

But the scale of the challenge is growing. Africa shoulders one of the heaviest burdens of public health emergencies globally, accounting for nearly 60% of major events—more than 100 each year. These crises range from disease outbreaks and climate disasters to humanitarian emergencies, often unfolding simultaneously.

In such a landscape, WHO Africa’s head of emergency stresses that emergency preparedness is no longer optional for the continent. It is central to safeguarding lives—detecting threats early, coordinating rapid responses, maintaining essential health services, and protecting the most vulnerable.

Health financing

Yet one of the most persistent obstacles remains financing. According to Belizaire, the issue is not only a lack of resources, but a lack of prioritization.

“Health emergencies are still too often financed through appeals and contingency measures, rather than treated as core public investments essential to national security, economic stability, and social cohesion,” she notes.

She argues that African governments must move beyond pledges and adhere to the Abuja Declaration, insisting on predictable domestic financing for preparedness and response. Dedicated emergency funds—at national, regional, and continental levels—must be fully capitalized and designed for rapid deployment, she notes.

At the same time, stronger financial management and innovative domestic revenue strategies could stretch limited resources further.

“Global mechanisms such as the Pandemic Fund can help—but they cannot replace national ownership. Ultimately, resilient emergency response systems will be built not on aid dependency, but on sustained political commitment to health as a public good and a strategic investment,” she says.

At the heart of that effort must be communities themselves. Experts stress that those most affected should not be treated as passive recipients of aid, but as active partners in shaping solutions.

That means listening to local voices, working through trusted leaders, women’s groups, youth networks, and frontline health workers—and ensuring their input guides both emergency response and long-term recovery.

“Sustainable solutions come when communities help define priorities, identify barriers, and hold responders accountable,” Belizaire says. “That is how emergency response becomes more equitable, more effective, and more trusted.”