This agreement offers protection from disasters by allowing people to move across borders to seek safety from natural hazards. IGAD – the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, made up of eight Member States from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes – is prone to multiple hazards including droughts, floods, landslides and food insecurity. Dr Nicodemus Nyandiko, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Disaster Management and Sustainable Development, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya, explains how the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons facilitates assistance by Member States to those affected by disasters in neighbouring Member States. This agreement shows how international cooperation and good disaster governance can help build resilience for everyone.
