𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗹 𝗡𝗶𝗻̃𝗼 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲/𝟮𝟳 The Southern African Development Community (SADC) today opened the 2026 Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, under the theme, “From Forecast to Consequence: Anticipating the Cascading Impacts of El Niño 2026/27 in Southern Africa.” The four-day workshop is convened by the SADC Secretariat in collaboration with the European Union, through the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), and in partnership with the Regional Anticipatory Action Working Group (RAAWG). Participating partners include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Start Network, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Vision. The workshop focuses on strengthening preparedness, advancing anticipatory action and enhancing coordination in response to the potential impacts of El Niño during the 2026/2027 rainfall season. The discussions are aimed at ensuring that governments and humanitarian actors are better positioned to anticipate emerging risks, mobilise resources and implement timely interventions to protect vulnerable communities and safeguard livelihoods.The opening session featured remarks from representatives of RAAWG, DG ECHO and the SADC Secretariat. The workshop was officially opened by the Director of South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre, Ms Pumeza Tyali, on behalf of the Government of South Africa. The deliberations are guided by a central question: What are the anticipated risks during the 2026/2027 season, and are existing systems sufficiently prepared to act before these risks translate into humanitarian consequences? For the full story visit the SADC website: sadc.int/latest-news/souther…