Geneva, Switzerland — On Monday, officials from the United Nations and international aid organizations convened in Geneva to address the escalating risks of heatwaves in Europe, the intensifying Ebola outbreak in Africa, and the looming food crisis exacerbated by weather phenomena like El Niño. Mary Friel, Senior Officer of Climate Policy at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, emphasized the gravity of the situation, urging individuals to take heatwaves seriously and prioritize the safety of the most vulnerable populations. Friel highlighted that the elderly, children, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, the homeless, migrants, and residents of overheated housing without cooling amenities are particularly at risk.
Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations at the World Health Organization, described the Bundibugyo virus outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic on record, with 1048 confirmed cases and 267 fatalities. He noted that the current outbreak is spreading at an unprecedented rate, with the number of deaths reaching 250 in just 78 days, compared to the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which took 130 days to reach the same figure.
The situation is further compounded by the anticipation of a strong El Niño event, which is expected to affect millions of people across various regions, leading to droughts, floods, and storms. Maxwell Sibhensana, Deputy Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, revealed that the FAO and World Food Programme (WFP) are aiming to raise 202 million USD to protect 8. 8 million people in vulnerable communities.
Sibhensana stressed the criticality of timing, noting that the window for anticipatory action is narrow and tied to agricultural cycles, and missing this opportunity would lead to increased human and financial costs. Experts warn that the El Niño, a natural warming cycle, will likely exacerbate the effects of global warming from fossil fuel pollution, intensifying extreme weather events worldwide. Meteorologists predict that the upcoming El Niño could rival or exceed the record-breaking event of 1997, which caused billions of dollars in damage due to heatwaves, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and wildfires.
The U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has confirmed the presence of El Niño, with a 63% chance that it will be one of the largest El Niño events in the historical record since 1950.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Africanews
Source: Rédaction Africanews
