IGAD REGIONAL HIGH LEVEL FORUM

Ministers, Commissioners, and Heads of Delegation from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Member States have officially adopted a high-level call to action committing to activate and update contingency plans at both national and local levels, establishing explicit roles for emergency evacuation and humanitarian access. The landmark agreement was reached at the Regional High-Level Forum on El Niño Preparedness held on September 17, 2026, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Faced with a severe regional El Niño outlook that threatens to trigger devastating flooding and mass displacement across the Horn of Africa, regional leaders moved swiftly to transition from passive forecasting to aggressive, proactive mitigation.