Freetown, Friday, September 4, 2026 – The Gender Empowerment and Social Inclusion Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Mrs. Erica Konneh, has championed the need for inclusive and people centred early warning systems that can effectively reach everyone, particularly vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, at the Africa Early Warnings Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Representing Sierra Leone at the forum, held from September 2 – 4, Mrs. Konneh joined government representatives, experts and development partners from across Africa to advance efforts under the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.
Sponsored by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the African Union, the forum reviewed progress in strengthening early warning systems across the continent and explored practical measures to ensure that warnings reach people in time and enable them to take appropriate action.
On the second day of the forum, Mrs. Konneh delivered the Keynote speech, emphasising the importance of a people -centered approach, gender and disability sensitive early warning systems that everyone can act on, not only to save lives but to improve the growth and development of african coutries.
“An early warning is only effective when it reaches the people who need it, in a form they can understand and through channels they trust.” She said.
She stressed that inclusion must be considered throughout the entire early warning process, noting that women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and communities in remote locations often face additional barriers to receiving and acting on warnings.
“We cannot truly speak of Early Warnings for All if some members of our communities are still being left behind because of disability, gender, geography, language or limited access to technology.” She noted.
Key discussions at the forum focused on sustainable financing, national ownership and institutional sustainability, people-centred and inclusive early warning systems, technology and artificial intelligence, as well as the critical link between early warning and early action.
Mrs. Konneh also called for stronger collaboration among governments, communities, technical institutions, civil society and development partners to ensure that warnings translate into timely action and ultimately save lives.
“Our focus must go beyond generating warnings. We must ensure that people receive them, understand them, trust them and have the capacity to act before a hazard becomes a disaster.” She said.
Her participation provided Sierra Leone with an opportunity to contribute to the continental dialogue while gaining valuable knowledge and experiences to support the country’s efforts to strengthen inclusive, people-centred and last-mile early warning systems.
The forum also highlighted the importance of sustaining investments and partnerships beyond 2027 to consolidate and expand the gains made under the Early Warnings for All initiative.
For More Enquiries:
Directorate of Communications
Toll-Free Line: 1199 (All Networks)
Email: mohamedibah@ndma.gov.sl
Website: www.ndma.gov.sl
