African countries forced to divert billions of dollars from schools and hospitals, risking deeper poverty

forced to divert billions of dollars each year from schools, hospitals and other essential sectors to tackle the effects of climate change. According to a report published by think-tank Power Shift Africa, countries across the region spend an average of 4 per cent of their GDP on adapting to changing weather conditions.
This includes some of the poorest countries in the world, who emit greenhouse gases many times less than those of people in developed countries like China. For instance, Sierra Leone will have to spend $90 million a year to adapt to climate change, although the country is only responsible for about 0.2 tonnes of carbon emissions a year each, which is about 80 times less than those generated by US citizens. In Ethiopia, more than a dollar is spent on repairing climate damage for every $20 of national income, the think-tank said.
“This report shows the deep injustice of the climate emergency,” Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, said. “Some of the poorest countries in the world are having to use scarce resources to adapt to a crisis not of their making. Despite only having tiny carbon footprints compared with those of the rich world, these African countries are suffering from droughts, storms and floods which are putting already stretched public finances under strain and limiting their ability to tackle other problems.”