Act based on forecasts and predictions ahead of crises and disasters and their immediate impacts.
Welthungerhilfe Saves Lives Through Anticipatory Humanitarian Action
WHH is co-organizer of this year's Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action, October 22-24, 2024, Berlin

Bonn/Berlin, October 21, 2024 – As extreme weather events become more frequent and destructive, Anticipatory Humanitarian Action is becoming increasingly vital. This year, Welthungerhilfe is a co-organizer of the "Global Dialogue Platform". Since 2015, this has been one of the most important international events where leading experts from science, humanitarian organizations, and governments have come together to push for a paradigm shift toward stronger Anticipatory Action.
Based on early warning information, this approach aims to provide assistance to people before an impending hazardous event causes damage and hunger. Welthungerhilfe is expanding its program to support organizations in nine Sub-Saharan African countries in developing Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Action Plans.
"By 2030, an estimated 118 million people living in extreme poverty in Africa could be affected by droughts, floods, and extreme heat, according to the UN. Already now, one of the worst hunger crises in the region is looming due to prolonged drought. If we rethink how we provide humanitarian assistance and act in an anticipatory manner rather than reactively, we can protect people's lives and livelihoods," says Matthias Amling, Team Lead for Anticipatory Humanitarian Action at Welthungerhilfe. "This approach strengthens resilience and is a more effective form of assistance: Anticipatory Action saves lives, minimizes damage, and is more efficient than traditional emergency assistance."
The core of this approach is defining thresholds and pre-agreed assistance measures together with local actors. Funds are committed in advance, allowing for a faster intervention when a disaster is imminent. In South Sudan, for example, Welthungerhilfe and its partner organization, Hope Restoration South Sudan (HRSS), were able to provide cash, tarps, solar lamps, ropes, blankets, and hygiene supplies to 1,037 families in Panyijar County to help them prepare for the predicted floods. In Zimbabwe’s Mbire District, Welthungerhilfe and its partner, Farm Community Trust Zimbabwe (FCTZ), constructed water pipe schemes ahead of the peak of the drought, ensuring safe water access for 440 households. Livestock was also strengthened through vaccinations and supplementary feed, preventing farmers from being forced to sell their animals due to poor harvests and shortage of animal feed.
As a co-organizer of this year’s "Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action," hosted by the Anticipation Hub, Welthungerhilfe will be participating alongside experts and partners from Germany, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Their experiences will contribute to better harnessing the huge potential of Anticipatory Action.
Interviews with Matthias Amling, as well as representatives from our partner organizations in Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe, are available upon request. We will be happy to provide you with the latest footage from Zimbabwe on request.
About the WAHAFA Project: The "Welthungerhilfe Anticipatory Humanitarian Action Facility (WAHAFA)" project, co-financed by the German Federal Foreign Office, aims to empower German NGOs and their local humanitarian partners to establish and expand localized Anticipatory Humanitarian Action plans in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, seven German NGOs (ADRA Germany, Action Against Hunger Germany, CARE Germany, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, Kindernothilfe, Oxfam Germany, and World Vision Germany) and 16 local partner organizations in nine countries (Burkina Faso, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe) are involved in the project.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 12,128 overseas projects in about 72 countries have been supported with 5.07 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, offering everything from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.