The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) and Action Against Hunger (ACF) have unveiled a new regional initiative aimed at protecting nearly 250,000 people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti from the combined impacts of climate change and conflict.

The 24-month project, dubbed Institutionalizing Interoperable Multi-Hazard Anticipatory Action (IMPAACT), seeks to strengthen early action systems, backed by $4.5 million in funding, ensuring that climate forecasts and risk data are translated into timely humanitarian interventions before disasters strike.

The Horn of Africa is among the world's most disaster-prone regions, where recurrent droughts, floods, conflict and displacement continue to fuel humanitarian crises.

While early warning systems have improved significantly in recent years, humanitarian agencies say a persistent gap remains between forecasting risks and delivering coordinated action on the ground.

The IMPAACT project aims to bridge that gap by expanding nationally led anticipatory action systems to regional, subnational, cross-border and urban communities across the three countries.

Strengthening preparedness ahead of disasters

The initiative will deliver four key outcomes over the next two years. These include strengthening the regional anticipatory action framework, improving preparedness in conflict-affected cross-border areas of Ethiopia and Somalia, enhancing disaster readiness in urban centres in Djibouti, and operationalizing a rapid-onset crisis mechanism capable of delivering humanitarian assistance within 48 hours once pre-agreed warning thresholds are reached.

Speaking at the launch, Action Against Hunger Chief Impact Officer Rotimy Djossaya said the project marks a significant shift in the region's humanitarian response.

"This project represents a fundamental shift in how we confront humanitarian crises in the region, moving from reactive crisis response to proactive protection. By bridging the gap between early warning data and swift, coordinated action, this initiative will allow us to reach the region's most vulnerable people before disaster strikes," he said.

Djossaya indicated that long-term resilience depends on strengthening institutions rather than simply responding to emergencies.

"True resilience isn't just about surviving the next crisis; it's about building the institutional systems that prevent it from becoming a catastrophe in the first place," he added.

At the regional level, ICPAC will lead the development of the project's anticipatory action framework by validating cross-border trigger matrices, ensuring policy alignment across Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti, and by linking implementation to existing regional coordination platforms, including the IGAD Regional Technical Working Group on Anticipatory Action.

Rather than creating parallel systems, the initiative is designed to reinforce existing national and regional mechanisms that support disaster preparedness, food security and long-term resilience across the Greater Horn of Africa.

ICPAC Director Dr. Abdi Fidar said the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters make anticipatory action an urgent priority.

"As climate extremes and humanitarian crises become more frequent and severe, investing in disaster preparedness through anticipatory action is no longer optional; it is essential. This initiative comes at a critical moment to accelerate anticipatory action across the region, placing governments in the driver's seat to lead, own and sustain solutions that protect lives, livelihoods and development gains," Dr. Fidar said.

Over its two-year implementation period, IMPAACT is expected to directly benefit 243,801 people: 86,261 in Ethiopia, 105,332 in Somalia, and 52,208 in Djibouti.

Protection, social inclusion, conflict sensitivity, and environmental sustainability have been integrated into all project activities to ensure that assistance reaches those most at risk while strengthening community resilience.

The project is scheduled to run until May 2028, with partners hoping it will provide a scalable model for anticipatory action across the Horn of Africa and beyond.