MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has called for stronger coordination and preparedness at the regional and district levels as the country braces for climate-related hazards and the expected impact of El Niño in 2026.
The call was made at a high-level meeting in Mogadishu chaired by Mahmoud Moalim Abdulle, head of Somalia’s Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), and attended by representatives of the federal government, state-level relief ministers, the United Nations, international and local aid organisations and other humanitarian partners.
The meeting focused on strengthening support for Somalia’s federal member states, particularly mechanisms for coordination at state and district levels, early warning systems, preparedness and responses to climate-related emergencies.
Participants stressed the need to strengthen coordination mechanisms within the federal member states so that early warnings could be translated into rapid action and resources, humanitarian assistance and other support could reach vulnerable communities on time.
Somalia is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, including droughts and floods, which have repeatedly displaced communities and worsened food insecurity.
SoDMA and the federal member states urged humanitarian and development partners to increase technical, financial, human-resource and logistical support ahead of the anticipated El Niño-related risks.
They also called on aid agencies to align their programmes with the preparedness priorities identified by the federal government and the member states.
The meeting comes as Somali authorities seek to improve the country’s capacity to anticipate and respond to climate emergencies, while reducing reliance on late-stage humanitarian interventions.
Officials said stronger coordination between national and regional authorities, humanitarian organisations and local communities would be critical to ensuring that early warnings result in timely action.
