Africa’s early warning experts and officials call for sustained momentum on life-saving disaster protection systems

• Multi-hazard early warning coverage across Africa has grown from a reported 14 countries in 2015 to 41 in 2026, with the comprehensiveness of these systems more than doubling since 2022.
• Climate and disaster risks continue to intensify – extreme weather events affected at least 13 million people and caused over 3,000 reported fatalities across Africa in 2025 alone.
• More than 400 experts and officials from governments, regional institutions and international partners gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to sustain and accelerate progress in early warning system coverage.
• The Africa Early Warnings Forum produced the Addis Ababa Call to Action on Early Warnings in Africa, setting out five priorities for governments and partners to close remaining gaps and protect every person by 2027 and beyond.

ADDIS ABABA, 4 September 2026 - Africa has made significant progress in expanding early warning systems, but with climate and disaster risks accelerating, the task now is to translate that progress into protection for every country and every community. This was a central message emerging from the Africa Early Warnings Forum, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 2 to 4 September 2026.

The number of African countries reporting multi-hazard early warning systems has risen from just 14 in 2015 to 41 in 2026, while the reported comprehensiveness of these systems has more than doubled since 2022. The region’s progress reflects the leadership of African governments and regional institutions in scaling up early warning systems, notably through the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS), led by the African Union Commission.

It was against the backdrop of growing climate risks that the UN Secretary-General launched the global Early Warnings for All initiative in 2022, with the ambition of protecting everyone, everywhere through early warning systems by 2027. The urgency of that ambition is only increasing. In 2025 alone, extreme weather and climate-related events affected at least 13 million people and led to more than 3,000 reported fatalities across Africa. Strong El Niño conditions forecast for 2026–27 could bring further extremes, including increased rainfall in some parts of the continent and drier-than-usual conditions in others. In this context, multi-hazard early warning systems remain one of the most proven and cost-effective means of protecting lives, livelihoods, essential services, and critical infrastructure. 

This week in Addis Ababa, the Africa Early Warnings Forum brought together more than 400 technical experts from governments, regional institutions, the private sector, scientific institutions, civil society organizations, humanitarian actors and international partners to accelerate implementation, strengthen partnerships and sustain financing to expand disaster protection across Africa through multi-hazard early warning systems.

"The message from Addis Ababa is clear: Africa has made significant progress – but we are still a long way from universal protection," said Selwin Hart, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action. 

"We must accelerate. That means putting people and communities at the center, ending fragmented approaches and financing, and building systems that last. And it means the international community finally delivering on its promises and commitments, with predictable and accessible finance. The test now is delivery."

The Forum launched the Addis Ababa Call to Action on Early Warnings in Africa, prioritizing five actions to accelerate the implementation of multi-hazard early warning systems across the continent: carry forward Early Warnings for All as a global political priority; bridge remaining gaps and reach the last mile, including in fragile countries; make multi-hazard early warning systems a core public investment; enable early action based on warnings; and make universal protection a shared and measurable responsibility.

“We have to keep our foot on the pedal. Real progress has been made, but we know more investment is needed. We need to expand partnerships, and we need to ensure sustainable international and domestic financing so early warning systems can protect all people, everywhere in Africa,” said Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Call to Action also calls for stronger cooperation among governments, development partners, financial institutions, scientific organizations and the private sector. It highlights the importance of translating warnings into early action, ensuring that vulnerable communities are equipped with the information, resources, and support needed to respond effectively to growing climate and disaster risks.

“We need to strengthen national institutions and ensure that investments build lasting operational capacity. Our responsibility is not simply to reach a target by 2027. It is to build early warning systems that continue to protect people in 2027, beyond 2027, and for generations to come" said Celeste Saulo, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization.

The Forum participants highlighted improved collaboration between meteorological services, disaster management agencies, telecommunication agencies and local authorities — along with advances in climate services such as seasonal forecasting — as encouraging signs that preparedness for climate extremes is strengthening, including for the anticipated El Niño conditions of 2026–2027.

Stronger community-level capacities, inclusive communication channels and locally led action are essential to ensure warnings reach everyone — including persons with disabilities, women, youth, rural communities, and populations in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

The Forum was convened by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU),  the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the African Union Commission (AUC), in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia.

About Early Warnings for All

The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative was launched by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in 2022, calling for every person on Earth to be protected by a multi-hazard early warning system by the end of 2027. The initiative is built around four pillars: risk knowledge and management, led by UNDRR; detection, observation, monitoring, analysis and forecasting, led by WMO; warning dissemination and communication, led by ITU; and preparedness and response capabilities, led by the IFRC. The four pillar leads work with governments, regional institutions and partners worldwide to close the remaining gaps in coverage and ensure that warnings reach everyone, providing valuable time for actions to save lives and protect livelihoods.

Media enquiries: 
Addis Ababa / Nairobi: Adair Ackley
Geneva: Omar Amach
New York: Esther Agbarakwe