Baidoa, Somalia (Axadle) South West State’s leader moved on Monday to bolster defenses against looming climate threats, appointing a Ministerial Committee for El Niño Preparedness and Response as Somalia intensifies efforts to shield vulnerable communities from possible weather-driven emergencies, according to a statement.
Led by the Minister of
Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the committee will steer the state’s preparedness and response operations. Its mandate includes expanding public awareness, reinforcing
early-warning systems, sharpening risk mapping, and coordinating swift relief efforts aimed at limiting the damage from heavy rains and flooding.
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The move comes after the Somali
Disaster Management Agency warned residents in 29 districts across 14 regions to brace for potentially intense, flood-triggering rains linked to Super El
Niño. The downpours are forecast for the Deyr season in October, November, and
December, with communities in low-lying and flood-prone areas urged to prepare early and closely follow weather updates and early-warning information.
The alert coincides with the close of Somalia’s climate
conference in Mogadishu and the opening of the country’s National Climate Outlook
Forum for the Deyr Season (NCOF OND 2026). Officials say reliable and timely climate information will be essential if communities and authorities are to respond before severe weather turns into a wider humanitarian crisis.
Authorities are calling on donors, humanitarian
agencies, UN bodies, implementing partners, and local communities to coordinate closely
with government institutions so preparedness can be strengthened and urgent
support can reach people facing the greatest risk.
The measures underscore Somalia’s increasing focus on early action, climate-based planning, and disaster
readiness as the country confronts elevated threats of heavy rainfall and
flooding during the approaching Deyr season.
– Axadle
