Sierra Leone islanders despair as rising ocean threatens survival

More than two million people living along Sierra Leone’s coasts are threatened by rising sea levels, according to a study conducted in June 2024. — Photos: AFP

Wading through water up to his knees, Hassan Kargbo points to the vast ocean before him, which is eroding the land and imperilling residents’ survival on his island off Sierra Leone.

“Where we are now, it used to be my house, and we used to have a big football field,” Kargbo said, but “the water destroyed everything”.