UNESCO has announced the emergency inscription of the Ancient Salt-Caravanserais of the Afar Depression in Ethiopia to the World Heritage List. The site encompasses a vast network of stone shelters and trade outposts that have facilitated the trade of 'salt bars' (amole) across the Horn of Africa for over a thousand years. This designation comes as a response to the increasing threat posed by rapid geological shifts and extreme climate-driven flash floods in the Danakil region.
The protection status will unlock international funding for the documentation and physical stabilization of these nomadic structures. Experts noted that the Afar salt trade is one of the few remaining examples of living prehistoric commerce, where traditional camel caravans still follow routes used by their ancestors. The inscription aims to balance the preservation of these historical landmarks with the ongoing socio-economic needs of the indigenous Afar communities who continue to manage the extraction process.