MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia called for stronger regional cooperation and greater investment in climate preparedness at an African Union ministerial meeting on disaster risk management, warning that the country is among the first in Africa to experience the effects of extreme weather driven by El Niño and La Niña.
Mahmoud Moallin Abdulle, commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), represented the federal government at the meeting, which focused on preparing for the anticipated impacts of a potential Super El Niño in 2026.
Addressing ministers and officials, Abdulle said Somalia’s location on the eastern edge of the African continent leaves it particularly vulnerable to climate shocks, including floods, droughts, displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks and damage to critical infrastructure.
He urged the African Union, its member states and international development partners to strengthen the sharing of climate and weather data, expand financing for anticipatory action and invest in infrastructure capable of withstanding increasingly severe climate events. He emphasized that early warning systems must be matched by rapid action to protect lives, livelihoods and property before disasters unfold.
The appeal comes as Somalia continues to recover from successive climate shocks in recent years, including prolonged drought followed by devastating floods linked to El Niño, which displaced hundreds of thousands of people, destroyed farmland and intensified humanitarian needs across the country.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, participants called for stronger early warning systems, increased funding for disaster preparedness, greater investment in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and closer cooperation among African countries. The ministers also agreed to convene a continent-wide donor conference before the end of 2026 to mobilize resources for preparedness and response efforts ahead of the anticipated El Niño impacts.
