Due to human-caused climate change, the likelihood of unusually high temperatures during the next four days (March 4-8) in Burkina Faso and portions of Mali in Africa’s Sahel area—a region that is extremely sensitive to climate change—is at least five times higher. According to a World Weather Attribution investigation, the fatal heat wave that hit the Sahel this spring—which saw highs of over 45°C (113°F) in Mali and lows of 32°C (90°F) in Burkina Faso—would not have happened in the absence of climate change. Extreme heat and drought brought on by climate change have been shown to indirectly escalate violence by affecting agricultural productivity and food security, particularly Mali’s maize crop. Burkina Faso has achieved significant progress in human development, including lower child mortality due to investments in women’s healthcare, while food security has declined throughout the Sahel. Climate change, however, poses a threat to undo this advancement. Africa bears a disproportionate amount of the burden of climate change caused by humans, even though it only contributes 2-3% of the world’s carbon emissions.