My mother and I were climate refugees. When I was a baby, we left our drought-stricken rural home for Nairobi, hoping the city would offer stable work and secure a better future for our family. With few options, we landed in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, living on the edge of survival without enough food to eat and without access to clean water, healthcare, or formal education. We scraped by on sheer will and survival instincts.
In recent months, torrential rains and floods have been the most catastrophic in Kenya in decades, killing 300 and displacing 300,000. The majority live in slums, crowded into metal shacks on land that quickly turns to mud. There are no government services and no safety net, even when crisis hits. Rivers have become clogged with waste, leading to the outbreak of waterborne diseases like cholera; food insecurity has surged; and homes have been destroyed. The damage will be felt for years to come—and the problem is quickly accelerating. More than 110 million people in Africa were affected by climate-related hazards in 2022, and 700 million people will be displaced due to food and water scarcity as a result of climate-related events by 2030.
Dispatches From The Front 