Kinshasa, 28 January 2026 – The “Early Warnings for All” (EW4All) initiative was officially launched today in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking a major step forward in the country's efforts to protect its citizens from climate-related disasters. Under the leadership of President Félix Tshisekedi, the launch took place during a high-level national workshop that was opened by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka.
The initiative responds to the urgent need to protect people and economic assets from increasing climate and disaster risks, including seasonal flooding, landslides, droughts, and storms. Without early warning and early action, these hazards can become devastating disasters that threaten lives, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure. This makes initiatives such as EW4All essential for reducing disaster costs and humanitarian needs and protecting development gains.
This launch comes amid several advances in the DRC around disaster risk reduction, including the recent decrees (numbers 38 and 39 of November 2025), which strengthen disaster risk governance.
The two-day national workshop (28-29 January) in Kinshasa brings together government ministries, United Nations agencies, bilateral and multilateral partners, civil society organisations, and research institutions to assess current early warning capacities, agree on a national coordination mechanism and develop a national roadmap for a multi-hazard early warning system.
“The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is fully committed to strengthening early warning systems. The Government considers the work stream as central to the development pathway of the country,” said Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The EW4All initiative, launched globally by the UN Secretary-General in 2022, aims to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027. The initiative is built on four interconnected pillars: disaster risk knowledge; detection, observation and forecasting; alert dissemination and communication; and preparedness and response capacity. Evidence shows that effective early warning systems can reduce disaster-related mortality by sixfold, and an alert 24 hours before an event can reduce material damage by up to 30 per cent.
Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), said: “Early warnings are one of the most effective tools we have to save lives and reduce economic losses. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is making tangible progress in strengthening its disaster resilience, and the launch of the Early Warnings for All initiative demonstrates strong national leadership and commitment to protecting the most vulnerable. This is about getting ahead of disasters, protecting development and reducing future humanitarian needs.”
The EW4All initiative is supported by UNDRR through the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative, which is providing critical financial and technical support.
Mr. Bruno Lemarquis, UN Resident Coordinator in the DRC, said: "We commend all the efforts undertaken by the DRC to integrate prevention, management, and risk reduction - particularly disaster risk - into its development endeavours. These efforts must be sustained over time in order to generate lasting impact, cultivate habits, strengthen community reflexes, and foster robust mechanisms for local ownership."
The launch of EW4All in DRC represents a coordinated effort involving UNDRR, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the World Bank, regional organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), and numerous national and international partners.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Adair Ackley, Regional Office for Africa: [email protected]
Mr. Joseph Dibaya, UN Resident Coordinator Office in DRC: [email protected]
About Early Warnings for All:
The Early Warnings for All initiative was launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2022. It aims to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by an early warning system by 2027. The initiative is co-led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), with support from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
About the UN Resident Coordinator Office (UNRCO) in the DRC:
The United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (UNRCO) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ensures the coordination of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in support of national priorities for development and peacebuilding. Guided by the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, it works to strengthen the coherence, effectiveness and impact of UN action, in close collaboration with the Government, partners, civil society and communities, while promoting an integrated approach grounded in human rights, inclusion, accountability and the principle of leaving no one behind, in order to contribute to sustainable peace and inclusive development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
About the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR):
UNDRR is the lead agency in the United Nations on disaster risk reduction. It provides leadership, expertise, and tools to enable countries to understand and act on disaster risks before they become disasters. UNDRR's work is guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which aims to achieve a substantial reduction in disaster risk and losses by the year 2030.