The AU insurance agency, the African Risk Capacity (ARC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Media Initiative (AMI) to create awareness on disaster risk financing.

The deal was penned in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday during an interactive workshop for journalists on reporting climate and disaster risk financing.

ARC’s Director-General Mohamed Beavogui signed the MoU on behalf of his organisation with Dr Roukaya Kasenally, the AMI chief executive, signing for the latter.

Dr Kasenally stressed the need for the African media to tell the continent’s story, noting that “Africa on the rise will not happen without the media”.

Recalling Cyclone Idai that swept across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe on March 15, Mr Beavogui warned that disaster risks were going to be more frequent and more devastating with the continued global warming, hence the need for Africa to be better prepared.

The programme was organised by ARC, the African Union Rural Economy and Agriculture and the Directorate of Information and Communication (DIC) of the African Union Commission.

The AU established ARC in 2012 to help member states respond to the extreme weather events.

In 2017, it signed an MoU with the African Development Bank (AfDB), with which it now works closely in insurance finance management.

AMI is a pan-African organisation registered in Kenya as a company limited by guarantee.

It aims at promoting the development of pluralistic media as a critical component of democratic governance and human development on the continent.