Foreign Policy published on 9 September 2025 an article titled "China's Appetite for Rosewood Is Causing Chaos in Africa" by Caroline Costello and Joshua Eisenman.
China imported an estimated $2 billion of rosewood from Africa between 2017 and 2022. Much of the logging for this rare timber is illegal. Extreme drought and flooding linked to the loss of rosewood trees have had devastating agricultural impacts.
The International Crisis Group published on 28 April 2025 a paper titled "The Stakes of Stripping Climate from UN Peacekeeping in South Sudan" by Nazanine Moshiri.
The UN Security Council will soon vote on the future of the peacekeeping mission in conflict-impacted South Sudan. The paper discusses what is at stake and why climate and peace should remain part of the mission's work.
The Conversation published on 10 September 2024 a commentary titled "South Sudan Floods: The First Example of a Mass Population Permanently Displaced by Climate Change?" by Liz Stephens, University of Reading, and Jacob Levi, Institute of International Health, Berlin University of Medicine.
Floods have engulfed much of South Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from the Sudd due to flooding along the White Nile. The floods seem to be getting worse each year, raising concerns that many South Sudanese will be permanently displaced.
The Wall Street Journal posted on 13 June 2024 a six and one-half-minute video titled "Why Ethiopia's $5 Billion Megadam Worries Egypt and Sudan."
The video reviews the well-known concerns of Egypt and Sudan about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. It points out that so far the holding back of water behind the dam has not caused any harm to Sudan and Egypt and has actually helped control flooding in Sudan. The makers of the video were unable to obtain comments from any of the three governments.
World Weather Attribution posted on 7 December 2023 an academic study by various specialists titled "Compounding Natural Hazards and High Vulnerability Led to Severe Impacts from Horn of Africa Flooding Exacerbated by Climate Change and Indian Ocean Dipole."
After years of drought, the short rainy season (October to December) in the Horn of Africa brought exceptionally heavy rains, particularly in November, leading to severe flooding in the south of Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and many regions in southern and central Somalia. In Somalia alone, more than 100 Somalis lost their lives and more than one million have been displaced.
Climate change and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) contributed approximately equally to the flooding event. The IOD is a natural phenomenon that oscillates between neutral, positive, and negative phases while human-induced climate change will continue to increase until the burning of fossil fuels is stopped.
World Politics Review published on 1 December 2023 a commentary titled "Somalia Needs Realistic Objectives, Not Quick Fixes" by Omar Mahmood and Nicolas Delaunay, both with the International Crisis Group.
Al-Shabaab retains clan support in parts of central Somalia and has demonstrated resilience over the years. President Hassan Sheikh needs to focus on long-term policies and show that the Somali government can provide better services for the Somali people and roll out genuine national reconciliation programs that bring peace dividends.
The Heritage Institute published in September 2023 conference proceedings titled "Climate Change and Conflict in the Horn: Challenges, Responses and New Mandates."
These 15 papers focus primarily on Somalia. They conclude that climate and weather variability are threatening agricultural and livestock production systems on which the livelihood of over 70 percent of Somali society depends. Civil conflicts undermine domestic production, impede investments in the key economic sectors and increase rural urban migration as well as the costs of production. Al-Shabaab remains the defining feature of Somalia's unending conflict landscape. Weak governance compounds the effect of climate shocks. Inadequate climate finance will limit the ability of countries in the Horn of Africa to mitigate climate change impacts.
The Washington Post published on 2 November 2023 a long article titled "Years into a Climate Disaster, These People Are Eating the Unthinkable" by Chico Harlan.
Long subject to civil war and corruption, climate change has now caused excess water in parts of South Sudan with 15 percent of the country submerged for years. The impact on food supply has been catastrophic. The only cure for the flooding is evaporation and time. The only solution for the people living in these affected areas is to move elsewhere, a problematic option.
Nature Climate Change published in January 2023 a study titled "Cooperative Adaptive Management of the Nile River with Climate and Socio-Economic Uncertainties" by ten experts in the United Kingdom.
This technical study presents a planning framework for adaptive management of the Nile infrastructure system, combining climate projections; hydrological, river system and economy-wide simulators; and artificial intelligence multi-objective design and machine learning algorithms. It concludes that if Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt compromise cooperatively and adaptively in managing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the national-level economic and resilience benefits are substantial, especially under climate projections with the most extreme streamflow changes.
Ethiopia Insight published on 22 February 2023 a commentary titled "War and Siege Inflicted Damage on Tigray's Ecosystem" by Emnet Negash, Ghent University, and Emiru Birhane, Mekelle University.
The war in Ethiopia's Tigray Region resulted in significant damage to agriculture, animal herds, reforestation, wildlife, and the environment generally.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute posted on 16 December 2022 a seven minute video titled "Food Security and Why It Matters for Peace in South Sudan."
One third of South Sudan's population or 8.3 million people are currently food insecure. The video is made in Jonglei State and discusses the intersection of conflict, drought, flooding, and climate change, which has resulted in a humanitarian crisis.
The Addis Standard published on 15 December 2022 an article titled "WB Emphasizes Importance of Ending Ethiopia's Internal Conflict, Full Implementation of Peace Agreement, Board Approves $745 m Grant."
The World Bank approved $745 million in grants for health systems and flood management in Ethiopia. The Bank also emphasized the importance of ending internal conflict and achieving lasting peace.
Ethiopia Insight published on 11 October 2022 a commentary titled "The Mass Exodus of Ethiopian Somalis to Sitti Zone" by Mohamed Hadi Gafdiid, a humanitarian worker in Somali Region.
The Somali residents of Sitti zone, formerly know as Shinile, have experienced conflict with neighboring Afars, drought, and flooding. The result has been massive displacement. In some cases, Afar militants armed with heavy weapons to combat Tigrayans have turned them on Somalis.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) published on 7 October 2022 its "Ethiopia Situation Report."
UNOCHA reported that twenty million Ethiopians now require humanitarian assistance throughout the country due to civil conflict, drought, and flooding. Renewed conflict in northern Ethiopia and Oromia has increased the number of internally displaced persons in Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and Afar Regions.
The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) published on 3 October 2022 a commentary titled "Helping Put Sudan's Democratic Transition Back on Track" by Benjamin Oestericher, FPRI intern.
The author argues that the international community, especially the United States, failed to adequately support Sudan's civilian government during the key window of opportunity it had to gain the legitimacy of the Sudanese people. COVID-19, climate change, and serious flooding exacerbated the challenge.
Comment: The missing part of this argument is the unwillingness of the military, which has the guns, to yield meaningful power to a civilian government.
UN News published on 24 August 2022 a press release titled "Drought, Hunger and Fighting Leave Ethiopia in 'Very Difficult Humanitarian Situation'."
Amid the worst drought in 40 years and the outbreak of new conflict in northern Ethiopia, the United Nations has targeted 17 million people for humanitarian assistance. The UN also condemned Tigrayan forces for entering the World Food Program warehouse in Mekelle, taking 12 fuel tankers with 570,000 liters of fuel.
Agence France Presse published on 22 August 2022 an article titled "After 'Doomsday' Floods, Sudanese Fear Worse to Come."
Heavy rains in Sudan's White Nile basin are causing severe flooding; so far this year, 146,000 Sudanese have been negatively impacted along the White Nile and the Nile River.
Comment: The Blue Nile, which begins in Ethiopia, joins the White Nile at Khartoum, thus creating the Nile River. Much of the flooding has been downstream from Khartoum. This is a situation where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile may have mitigated the flooding this year in Sudan while Ethiopia was filling the reservoir behind the dam. Sudan and Ethiopia need to explore how they can coordinate efforts to minimize flooding along the Nile River.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published in June 2022 a study titled "Towards an Integrated Approach to Climate Security and Peacebuilding in Somalia" by Emilie Broek and Christophe M. Hodder.
The study explores the linkages between climate security and peacebuilding processes in Somalia. Worsening climatic conditions are challenging livelihoods and altering the physical surroundings and security upon which people depend.
The Associated Press published on 19 May 2022 an article titled "Century-old Canal Project Sparks Opposition in South Sudan" by Deng Machol.
The government of South Sudan is considering revival of construction of the Jonglei Canal on the White Nile to prevent flooding and improve infrastructure. It would also increase the volume of water reaching Sudan and Egypt. But there is opposition to the project, which some believe to be a catastrophic environmental and social disaster for South Sudan's Sudd wetlands.
The Voice of America published on 15 May 2022 an article titled "Persistent Drought in Ethiopia Result of Climate Change, Experts Say" by Linda Givetash.
According to the World Metrological Organization, the warming Indian Ocean is associated with drying conditions in parts of Ethiopia, especially Somali Region, leading to persistent drought.
