Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
17 September 2024 | 12:04 p.m. SAST
1-minute read

Soaring temperatures in Africa break records

The continent has been affected by heat waves, with temperatures in the summer of 2024 breaking all previous records.

While the increase in temperatures have been attributed to the El Niño phenomenon, records indicate that the Earth’s climate has changed throughout history, with periods of warming and cooling, which indicate that current climate changes may be part of natural cycles rather than solely human-induced.

The rising temperatures have had detrimental health, agricultural and economic consequences on the most vulnerable populations in Africa.

The phenomenon is not confined to Africa, with various countries across the globe having experienced extremely high temperatures.

Fuel truck explosion in Haiti kills 15 and critically injures over 40

On Saturday, a truck carrying gasoline in Haiti flipped and exploded.

The truck exploded as bystanders tried to collect fuel from the crashed tanker, which points to the broader problem of poverty, Mikatekiso Kubayi, a researcher at the Institute for Global Dilaogue said on Radio Islam’s Africa Report.

“When trucks collide, the poor quickly rush in and try to see if they can get something. It’s poverty. It’s inequalities,” Kubayi said.

Haiti has been experiencing fuel shortages due to fighting between gangs, which makes importing goods into the country difficult.

Tunisians protest poor governance as election campaign gets underway

In Tunis, demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday to protest the deteriorating state of the country’s economic and political landscape.

Numerous political figures have been imprisoned under Saied’s rule, with the country’s largest opposition party, Ennahda, having reported a mass arrest of its senior members.

Voters will head to the polls on October 6, when Saied, who has been accused of autocracy, will run for a second term.

Listen to the Africa Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.