The African Union is sounding the alarm over what could become one of the most powerful El Nino events in modern history, warning governments across the continent that time is running out to prepare. The appeal was made as officials gathered to weigh the risks posed by the coming climate phenomenon and the steps needed to reduce its impact on African communities.
Speaking in Addis Ababa, the AU Agricultural Commissioner, Moses Villakati, said forecasts indicate the climate phenomenon could peak between November 2026 and February next year. According to the Commissioner, that would make it the strongest El Nino recorded since 1950, placing renewed pressure on governments to act before the event reaches its most intense phase.
Mr Villakati pointed to the devastating 2023-2024 El Nino as a warning of what may lie ahead. That earlier event, he noted, left more than 71 million people across southern Africa in need of assistance after crop failures, power disruptions and worsening food insecurity, illustrating the scale of the humanitarian strain such a phenomenon can place on the region.
In response, the Commissioner urged African governments to strengthen their early warning systems and to invest in climate resilience. He framed these measures as central to reducing the harm that the anticipated El Nino could cause, calling on authorities to move quickly rather than wait until the phenomenon is already affecting communities on the ground.
Mr Villakati stressed that the preparations made today could determine whether the continent faces a manageable emergency or a full-scale humanitarian disaster. In his message, the choices taken by governments in the coming months would shape the difference between a response that contains the damage and one that struggles to cope with a far larger crisis.
The warning came as the African Union held a ministerial session to translate technical work into political action. Officials said the deliberations of experts had provided a solid technical foundation for the decisions to be taken, adding that the decisions emerging from the meeting must be bold, practical and implementable rather than confined to reports alone.
Officials told the session that citizens expect governments to strengthen national preparedness plans, invest in climate-resilient agriculture and protect water resources and critical infrastructure. They also called for early warning systems to be expanded to every village, every farmer, every pastoralist and every vulnerable community, so that no African loses their life to the coming event.