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Overcome World Aviation Risk Conference 2026 in Malta earlier this week, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar warned that the rise of weaponry is creating an environment where civilian aircraft are increasingly at risk of being targeted or caught in the crossfire.
“We must now go beyond the limitations of aviation as we have known it,” Salazar told delegates, stressing that while the industry demonstrated “tremendous resilience” during the recent Middle East crisis, operational flexibility alone cannot resolve the underlying security threats.
Three steps to safety
To prevent catastrophic incidents, the Secretary-General urges Member States to adopt three priority measures:
- Quick intelligence sharing: Communicate threats to civil aircraft in real-time.
- Stronger risk assessment: Improve timely decision making for airspace closures.
- Civil-military coordination: Improve communications to prevent misidentification of civilian targets.
ICAO is currently finalizing a Global Crisis Management Framework and updating safety manuals to help airlines navigate increasingly militarized skies.
Salazar reminded the international community that under the Chicago Convention, the use of weapons against civil aircraft is strictly prohibited.
Drought drives three out of four new displacements in Somalia
Somalia’s worsening climate crisis has displaced nearly 62,000 people since the start of this year, and drought is now the cause of most new displacement.
According to International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday, displacement due to drought had jumped 22 percent compared to last year.
Even if the upcoming rainy season brings many benefits, experts project that 125,000 people will be forced to leave their homes in June as water sources dry up and livestock perish.
A mother and daughter at the Rabi Yasir camp for internally displaced people in Mogadishu, Somalia. .
“When water runs out, crops fail and livelihoods come to a standstill, displacement becomes the last resort,” said Manuel Pereira, IOM Chief of Mission for Somalia.
He warned that without immediate action, this crisis will continue to dislocate communities and worsen the hunger crisis.
The city center is under pressure
When herding and farming families lost their livestock and crops, they headed to big cities in search of food and water.
However, these urban areas are struggling to cope with the influx. Many families live in overcrowded informal settlements and do not have access to clean water or toilets, increasing the risk of disease.
Although IOM is providing emergency shelter and life-saving supplies through its rapid relief teams, the agency warns that the scale of the crisis exceeds available resources.
In addition to immediate aid, IOM is calling for long-term investment in water infrastructure to help Somalis remain on their land and survive future climate shocks.
Solar irrigation projects improve food security in drought-prone Ethiopia
World Food Program (WFP) and the Ethiopian Government owns it inaugurated solar powered irrigation scheme in the Somali Region, which aims to help pastoral communities survive increasingly severe climate shocks.
Located in Gode, the project is part of the “IFTIIN” initiative – which means “light” or “hope” in Somali – and is funded by Germany through the KfW Development Bank.
The scheme draws water from the Shebelle River, enabling year-round farming in an area that normally relies on unreliable rainfall.
“WFP’s vision in Ethiopia is to support the Government’s transition towards a resilient and self-sufficient food system,” said Zlatan Milišić, WFP Director. He noted that the project allows communities to “absorb climate shocks and reduce long-term dependence on humanitarian aid.”
Severe drought occurs in the Somali region of Ethiopia (file).
Invest in local resilience
This initiative supports approximately 85,000 people across the region by integrating water infrastructure with economic support.
Apart from building 17 irrigation areas and 13 livestock ponds, this project has also built 29 embankments to regenerate vegetation and protect against flooding.
To ensure long-term sustainability, farmers are linked directly to traders and markets, helping to increase family income and improve access to basic financial services.
Between 2024 and 2025, local farmers at the Gode site earned nearly $290,000 from their harvest, demonstrating the potential for climate-smart solutions to transform food security in lowland areas.
