Emergency preparedness

Crises have become increasingly recurrent, protracted and multidimensional, with global displacement reaching unprecedented levels. In response, IOM has enhanced preparedness by shifting from merely reacting to displacement crises to anticipating and mitigating risks. It focuses on improving its ability to anticipate and scale up its preparedness to proactively address and mitigate the negative impacts of the mobility dimension of crises, with a specific emphasis on localization.  

IOM’s efforts are centred on four key preparedness priorities to prevent and alleviate human suffering:

1. Guidance and knowledge production
2. Information and knowledge management
3. Capacity-building and field support
4. Inter-agency engagement on emergency preparedness.

IOM supports States in preparedness efforts to reduce the expected impacts of crises and enable an effective operational response, particularly in contexts of political uncertainty, conflicts, disaster-prone environments, areas increasingly affected by climate change and those with disease outbreaks.

IOM preparedness activities are aimed at enhancing the capacities of missions, governments, response organizations and communities to anticipate and effectively respond to likely, imminent or current hazards, events or crises, including by strengthening internal and inter-agency preparedness through risk monitoring, contingency planning and minimum preparedness actions. Additionally, IOM helps various stakeholders strengthen their capacity to assist migrants in countries in crisis and equips staff working in treacherous environments with safety and security skills.

Guidance and knowledge production 

IOM has developed several tools to strengthen emergency preparedness, including the Guidance Note on Preparedness for Emergency Response, a contingency plan template and checklists for minimum preparedness actions. The emergency preparedness toolkit offers field offices comprehensive guidance on emergency programme planning and implementation to improve preparedness and responses.

Information and knowledge management

To meet growing crisis-driven demand, IOM is enhancing foresight and horizon scanning and has developed new tools to monitor risks and improve decision-making. The upgraded emergency preparedness dashboard provides risk profiles and resource mapping and management to aid planning. IOM’s list of early warning tools covers hazard monitoring, risk assessment and preparedness, with a view to enhancing institutional capacity and readiness.

Capacity-building and field support

IOM aims to improve global preparedness by strengthening regional support with dedicated officers and by training rapid response teams. These efforts include multiple regional preparedness training sessions and institutional training courses, such as the emergency response induction training, the senior emergency leadership and coordination training and the rapid response team simulation exercise. In addition, early and anticipatory action efforts in 23 countries were supported between 2019 and 2023 with IOM seed funding. IOM is also developing a Surge Learning platform for adaptive response capacity to establish a continuum of learning across capacity-building initiatives and is expanding mentorship, coaching and partnerships with external stakeholders such as Member States, donors and academia.

Inter-agency engagement on emergency preparedness

IOM actively engages in inter-agency efforts to enhance preparedness and anticipatory action. It collaborates with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee through the Reference Group on Risk, Early Warning and Preparedness and the Preparedness, Early Action and Readiness Sub-Group, and with the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership. IOM also participates in United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Central Emergency Response Fund regional initiatives and anticipatory action frameworks with a view to strengthening partnerships and securing funding for preparedness efforts.