The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has called for early warning systems across the Arab region that deliberately include people on the move, warning that standard alert channels leave migrants exposed when disasters strike.

The appeal comes from IOM Tunisia, the agency's office covering part of a region where conflict, displacement and climate-related hazards overlap. In a statement, IOM said governments and partners should design warning systems that reach migrants, refugees and displaced people — groups that often miss alerts broadcast through official national channels.

Who does the call address?

IOM directs its request at governments, disaster-management agencies and humanitarian partners across the Arab region. The agency's argument is simple: an early warning only works if the person at risk receives it and understands it.

People on the move face specific barriers that settled populations usually do not. IOM highlights several:

• Migrants may not speak the local language of official alerts.
• Those in transit may lack access to national broadcasting, mobile networks or registration systems.
• Undocumented people may avoid contact with authorities, including emergency services.

Each barrier can delay or entirely block a life-saving warning. The takeaway: inclusivity is not an add-on but the core design principle IOM wants adopted.

What would change in practice?

An inclusive early warning system, in IOM's framing, would translate alerts into the languages migrants actually speak and deliver them through channels migrants actually use. It would also treat mobile and displaced populations as a standing audience for disaster preparedness, not an afterthought.

The Arab region adds urgency to the request. Countries there face a combination of conflict-driven displacement, labour migration and climate pressures such as floods, droughts and extreme heat. When a hazard hits, people in transit — on borders, in transit centres, in informal settlements — are often the hardest to locate and warn.

IOM's position is that regional cooperation should embed mobile populations directly into national and regional disaster-risk frameworks. In plain terms: the agency wants the region's warning infrastructure to count migrants in from the start, rather than trying to reach them once a crisis is underway.

Why early warnings matter for migration policy

Early warning systems sit at the junction of disaster risk reduction and migration management. Under global frameworks — including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction — states have committed to multi-hazard early warning coverage for all people by 2027.

IOM's call ties that global commitment to a regional reality: in the Arab region, a significant share of the people exposed to hazards are on the move. A system designed only around permanent residents will, by design, miss them.

The agency frames the issue as one of protection, not convenience. People on the move already face heightened risks during emergencies, from restricted access to shelters to exclusion from evacuation plans.

The one-sentence takeaway: IOM wants the Arab region to rebuild its warning systems so that a person's migration status never decides whether they hear the alert in time.

Readers seeking authoritative details should consult official IOM publications and national disaster-management authorities, as this article summarises the agency's public call and does not constitute legal or individual advice.