World News in Brief: Airliner safety warning, drought in Somalia, solar boosts farming in Ethiopia

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The head of the UN’s civil aviation agency, ICAO, has called for immediate global action to protect commercial flights from escalating military threats, including missiles, drones, and GPS signal jamming.

Addressing the 2026 World Overflight Risk Conference in Malta earlier this week, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar warned that emerging weaponry is creating an environment where civilian planes are increasingly at risk of being targeted or caught in crossfire.

“We must now reach beyond the boundaries of aviation as we have known it,” Mr. Salazar told delegates, noting that while the industry showed “remarkable resilience” during recent Middle East crises, operational flexibility alone cannot solve the underlying security threat.

Three steps for safety

To prevent a catastrophic incident, the Secretary General urged Member States to adopt three priority measures:

• Rapid intelligence sharing: Communicating threats to civilian aircraft in real-time.
• Stronger risk assessment: Improving timely decision-making for airspace closures.
• Civil-military coordination: Enhancing communication to prevent the misidentification of civilian targets.

ICAO is currently finalising a Global Crisis Management Framework and updating safety manuals to help airlines navigate increasingly militarised skies. 

Mr. Salazar reminded the international community that under the Chicago Convention, the use of weapons against civilian aircraft is strictly prohibited.

Drought drives three out of four new displacements in Somalia

A worsening climate crisis in Somalia has uprooted nearly 62,000 people since the start of the year, with drought now responsible for the vast majority of new displacements.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday, drought-related displacement has jumped 22 per cent compared to last year. 

Even if the upcoming rainy season is largely beneficial, experts project that another 125,000 people could be forced from their homes by June as water sources dry up and livestock perish.

“When water disappears, crops fail and livelihoods collapse, displacement becomes a last resort,” said Manuel Pereira, IOM Chief of Mission for Somalia. 

He warned that without swift action, the crisis will continue to uproot communities and deepen a growing hunger crisis.

Urban centres under pressure

As pastoral and farming families lose their cattle and crops, they are heading toward towns and cities in search of food and water. 

However, these urban areas are struggling to cope with the influx. Many families are ending up in overcrowded informal settlements with little access to clean water or toilets, increasing the risk of disease.

While IOM is providing emergency shelter and life-saving supplies through its rapid support teams, the agency warns that the scale of the crisis is outstripping available resources. 

Beyond immediate aid, IOM is calling for long-term investment in water infrastructure to help Somalis stay on their land and withstand future climate shocks.

Solar irrigation project boosts food security in drought-prone Ethiopia

The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ethiopian Government have inaugurated a solar-powered irrigation scheme in the Somali Region, aimed at helping pastoral communities withstand intensifying climate shocks.

Located in Gode, the project is part of the “IFTIIN” initiative – meaning “light” or “hope” in Somali – and is funded by Germany through the KfW Development Bank. 

The scheme draws water from the Shebelle River, allowing for year-round farming in an area traditionally dependent on unreliable rainfall.

“WFP’s vision in Ethiopia is to support the Government’s shift toward resilient, self-reliant food systems,” said Zlatan Milišić, WFP Country Director. He noted that the project allows communities to “absorb climate shocks and reduce long-term reliance on humanitarian assistance.”

Investment in local resilience

The initiative supports approximately 85,000 people across the region by integrating water infrastructure with economic support. 

Beyond the construction of 17 irrigation schemes and 13 livestock ponds, the project has installed 29 dykes to regenerate vegetation and protect against floods. 

To ensure long-term sustainability, farmers are being linked directly to traders and markets, helping to increase family earnings and improve access to basic financial services.

Between 2024 and 2025, the Gode site saw its local farmers earn nearly $290,000 from their harvests, demonstrating the potential of climate-smart solutions to transform food security in lowland areas.