Exploring the conflict blind spots in climate adaptation finance in the Sahel and Horn of Africa

This report contributes to SPARC’s mission of strengthening resilience among pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. It examines donor approaches to adaptation finance in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCSs) across the Sahel and East Africa, focusing on whether programmes have been conflict-sensitive and what barriers and enablers shape financing in these contexts.

Drawing on case studies from Mali, Somalia, and Sudan, the analysis finds limited evidence of conflict-sensitive practice. Donor strategies often avoid militia-controlled or highly insecure areas, reflecting risk perceptions rather than proactive conflict analysis. Programme proposals rarely integrated conflict dynamics into design or implementation, focusing instead on operational hazards and “security awareness.”

The study highlights persistent gaps in linking climate change to conflict and fragility, alongside weak incentives to build expertise at this nexus. Findings underscore the need for stronger donor strategies, policies, and human resource capacity to embed conflict sensitivity in adaptation finance.