By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
MOGADISHU, September 22, 2026 The Federal Government of Somalia has approved the National El Niño Preparedness Plan for 2026–2027, bringing together government efforts to prevent, respond to and recover from risks associated with heavy rainfall and flooding.
The plan was approved during a ministerial-level meeting in Mogadishu chaired by Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi.
The meeting focused on preparations for El Niño during 2026–2027 and strengthening a whole-of-government approach to managing risks arising from changing weather conditions.
The new plan coordinates the responsibilities of the federal government, federal member states and local authorities to ensure a unified national response based on weather forecasts, early-warning systems and risk information.
According to the government, the plan focuses on four interconnected stages: preparedness, anticipatory action, emergency response and recovery.
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Priority will also be given to protecting people, livestock, farmland, water sources and critical infrastructure that could be affected by heavy rainfall and flooding.
The plan strengthens early-warning and risk-monitoring systems so that accurate information can be communicated to government institutions and communities before hazardous conditions develop into disasters.
It also establishes a framework through which government institutions and humanitarian organisations can share information and plan the financing, personnel and equipment required for an effective response.The second deputy prime minister instructed the relevant institutions and officials to implement the approved plan swiftly and efficiently.
He also emphasised the importance of operational coordination, accountability and accelerating the delivery of the plan’s expected results.
The plan’s approval comes as Somalia remains highly vulnerable to floods, droughts and other extreme weather conditions that affect livelihoods, agricultural production, livestock and critical national infrastructure.