Elizabeth Wathuti, a Kenyan climate activist, caught the attention of world leaders as she gave an emotional appeal on behalf of millions of Kenyans facing starvation during the World Economic Forum annual summit in Davos, Switzerland.
Speaking at the forum on Thursday, May 27, the Green Generation Initiative founder noted that millions of Kenyans especially those in Wajir county were grappling with the effects of the ongoing drought.
Present at the event was former United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, and China's envoy, Xie Zhenhua.
Wathuti noted that many families were struggling to get a meal, further, calling on the world leaders to rally behind climate change initiatives across the globe.
"Just over a week ago, I travelled to Wajir, a county in the northeastern part of my country. What I witnessed there was a deeply shocking example of the suffering that the interconnected climate, nature, and food crises are laying bare across the African continent: dead and dying livestock; decimated wildlife; hungry and desperate people who are losing hope for their future," she stated.
Additionally, she expressed that many Kenyans were struggling to make ends meet, citing the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine that has made a bad situation worse, adding that there is an urgent need for an intervention from the world leaders.
"The humanitarian crisis has only worsened since COP26. Over 3 million Kenyans and 20 million Africans are facing extreme hunger due to the effects of climate change. The war in Ukraine will only exacerbate these terrifyingly high levels of food insecurity."
"What is needed now is courageous and urgent action from each and every one of us to change course while we still can, born of compassion and respect for ourselves and all life on earth," she stated.
On his part, Kerry noted that many countries in Africa are facing adverse effects of climate change despite the few countries in the West being the biggest emitters of harmful fumes.
"The reality is that 20 countries are responsible for 80 per cent of emissions. We have the technology to change, we need the political will. If we can harness this, we can still avoid the worst effects of climate change," he stated.
In November 2021, the climate activist made headlines after she delivered a remarkable speech on climate change during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland.
Her speech saw her get a standing ovation from over 100 world leaders even as President Uhuru Kenyatta congratulated her noble works amid Kenya's drought which was declared a national disaster in September last year.
