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DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
IGAD warns funding delays are leaving vulnerable communities exposed to climate shocks
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has warned that delays in financing disaster preparedness are leaving communities in the Horn of Africa exposed to droughts, floods and other hazards. IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu spoke on 28 October at the opening of the second Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action in Mombasa, Kenya.
Gebeyehu said early warning information must trigger timely decisions and the release of resources before hazards become severe, noting that warnings often come before a disaster while funding arrives after the damage is done. He urged member states to build anticipatory action into national budgets, contingency arrangements and disaster risk financing, and to ensure it reaches the local level. Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen also spoke at the opening, calling for disaster preparedness to be integrated into government policies, development plans and budgets.
The dialogue runs from 28 to 30 October under the theme of transforming risk into resilience by institutionalising anticipatory action through policy. It is co hosted by IGAD and the Government of Kenya and will review progress since the first platform in October 2024, which adopted the 17 point Mombasa Declaration.
Anticipatory action uses forecasts and early warning information to trigger interventions before a disaster peaks. Depending on local conditions, measures can include releasing emergency cash, moving livestock, protecting water infrastructure and pre positioning relief supplies.
The approach is relevant in a region where drought and flooding can overlap, placing pressure on livelihoods, public infrastructure and humanitarian budgets. IGAD's message points to a gap between having risk information and having funds that can be released when predefined thresholds are reached. Whether the dialogue produces commitments on predictable financing will indicate how far anticipatory action moves from pilot projects into national systems.
Sources: IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, concept note and platform page for the second Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform; remarks by IGAD and Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary.
DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
28 October 2026 · Mombasa, Kenya
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