The Eastern Africa region is grappling with severe natural hazards, from droughts to floods, exacerbated by ongoing conflicts that deepen the humanitarian crisis. To counter these challenges, a coalition of ICPAC, FAO, IFRC, DRC, and WFP has launched a two-year initiative in Ethiopia and Somalia.
The project, dubbed”Scaling Coordinated Multi-Hazard & Conflict Sensitive Anticipatory Action in the Greater Horn of Africa,” aims to provide a strategic roadmap for managing the interconnected risks of climate change, conflict, and displacement.
Based on the prevalence of cross-boundary hazards in the Greater Horn of Africa, the project emphasizes regional coordination and analysis, coupled with national-level application of a harmonized Anticipatory Action stance.
According to Dr. Ahmed Amdihun, ICPAC Senior Regional Manager for Disaster Risk Management, the Greater Horn of Africa faces crises ranging from lots of rain to droughts and conflicts that challenge livelihoods and lead to casualties at times.
“This initiative is in response to the impacts of these challenges, evidenced by the report that by the end of 2024 up to 20 million within the region were food insecure. It’s time we act before the crisis escalates to save lives and livelihoods. Together we can turn anticipation into action and that action into resilience” said Dr. Ahmed.
IGAD region is one of the most food insecure in the world ¼ of the people in the world, signaling the need for a comprehensive approach to disaster preparedness, proactively and reduction of risks before they turn into crises. The multi-partner approach in the project is essential for collective regional, harmonized, multi-hazard, and conflict-sensitive measures.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in their collaboration seek to amplify regional Anticipatory Action. The project funded by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO) aims at enhancing proactive actions rather than a reliance on reactive measures after risks occur.
The project takes on this tactic emphasizing Anticipatory Action that can ensure the protection of the most vulnerable from the often-compounding effects of climate change, conflict, and related displacement.
“DG-ECHO was part of the team during the formulation of the IGAD Roadmap for Anticipatory Action hence the project contributes directly to the roadmap to have it operationalized at the country and then eventually regional level,” said Segolene De Beco, ECHO Head of Regional East and Southern Africa.
De Beco emphasized that the project is a way of bringing all the initiatives taking action within the region around the table ensuring we have a unified view of the bigger picture. Revealing that this is an opportunity to share the best practices among vast diverse stakeholders easing connecting the dots in building resilience.
Multi-hazards entail specific contexts of hazardous events at times occurring simultaneously, cascading or cumulatively over time, with a potential for interrelated effects.
Andrea Berloffa, FAO Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer, points out that the project is more than just an anticipatory action as it focuses on coordination and harmonization.
He stresses that one of the main reasons for this food insecurity in the region is conflict. However, he says making anticipatory action the norm is crucial by aligning our efforts, civil society closely working with institutions, to mitigate some of these shocks.
“Early warning did not translate to early preparedness and action. For example; in 2023 we anticipated the drought earlier but the efforts of alerting the community were not effective enough leading to devastating losses,” said Berloffa.
Greater Horn of Africa faces imminent challenges like the 2020-2022 prolonged drought that was quickly followed by the 2023-2024 floods witnessed in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
Rukia Yacoub, WFP Deputy Regional Director East Africa reveals that WFP has championed anticipatory action in 8 countries since 2020 hence through this project collective action foresees the expansion of these projects further.
She stressed that the roadmap is a guide to collective action, bringing together governments and humanitarian and development actors scaling harmonized early warning systems and anticipatory actions.
“Together we can create a more resilient, food-secure future for the people of Lake Region and the continent of Africa,” said Rukia.
This collective approach is important considering the unprecedented eventualities that are at most times transboundary. Therefore, the project is a bridge connecting and amplifying the different stakeholders’ initiatives making collaboration invaluable.
Dr. George Otieno, Anticipatory Thematic Lead IGAD, stressed that this is a one-of-a-kind project that brings diverse partners to champion an innovative approach for anticipatory action.
“The objective of the program is to build a scale-up of the good practices from the pilot projects in Ethiopia and Somalia. While doing this on a national level there’s observation of the ups and downs involved so that as we embrace the regional space it’s already tested and approved,” stressed Dr. Otieno.
