Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction
For decades, Somalia has faced devastating droughts, floods and conflict. Today, thanks to coordinated efforts spearheaded by UNDRR, Somalia is making significant strides towards more effective, integrated DRR and EWS.
In 2023/24, Somalia worked with UNDRR and key international partners to establish an MHEWS. A road map developed in 2023 identified weaknesses in data collection, risk assessment and communication networks. This laid the groundwork for Somalia’s participation in EW4All, significantly strengthening national capacities in risk knowledge, anticipatory action and community-based preparedness.
In July 2024, a capacity-building workshop in Nairobi brought together national and international stakeholders. Somali officials later travelled to Italy, exchanging best practices with the Italian Civil Protection and the CIMA Research Foundation. These experiences helped refine Somalia’s early warning framework.
“The EW4All initiative was launched in 2023, and throughout this time, the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) project has supported capacity-building and risk management in Somalia”, said Khadar Sh. Mohamed Nur, Director of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency. “It has changed the way we think about DRR.”
The impact was evident during the heavy Gu rains of April–June 2024. While floods affected 160,000 people and displaced 37,000, the damage was significantly less severe compared to 2023. The key difference was timely, accurate and widely disseminated early warnings and early action.
Through text messages, radio broadcasts and community meetings, vulnerable populations received crucial information. Additionally, data from the DesInventar system improved impact-based forecasting, enabling proactive interventions such as fortification of riverbanks and pre-positioning of emergency supplies.
A critical component of Somalia’s DRR strategy has been inclusivity. “[Persons] with disabilities in Somalia did not previously have access to information”, said Mawlid Abdul Qadir Badal, Director of the National Disability Agency Somalia. “After the workshops and consultations led by UNDRR, we are sure that disability aspects are included in the EW4All road map.” In a three-day training on gender- and disability-inclusive EWS in Nairobi in November 2024, UNDRR brought together officials from Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti.
UNDRR has also played a pivotal role in integrating disaster risk analysis into broader humanitarian and development planning. In 2024, UNDRR facilitated a joint analysis effort among stakeholders from across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. This informed the development of Somalia’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Common Country Analysis for the 2026–2030 Cooperation Framework.
In addition, the Early Warning Systems and Early Action in Fragile, Conflict-affected and Violent Contexts handbook provides strategies for implementing EWS where governance is weak or absent. Employed by practitioners across the globe, it emphasizes cross-sectoral coordination, regional collaboration and adaptation to local challenges.
Somalia’s disaster preparedness journey is far from over. But through strategic partnerships, technological advancements and inclusivity, Somalia is steadily building a more resilient future. While challenges remain, the EW4ALL initiative and UNDRR’s broader support highlight what is possible when governments, international agencies and communities work together.