"Global Hunger": The "El Niño" phenomenon threatens 49 million people
A new report by the UN World Food Programme warns that the "El Niño" climate phenomenon could add 49 million people to the cycle of hunger, spike food prices, and exacerbate the crisis in 45 vulnerable countries.
The "El Niño" climate phenomenon could push about 49 million additional people into a state of severe food insecurity in the world's most vulnerable regions by the end of next year. This is according to a new report published on Wednesday by the UN World Food Programme, which paints a grim picture regarding the future of the global climate and nutrition.
According to the UN agency, there is an 81% chance of the development of an exceptionally strong El Niño event, accompanied by some of the highest sea surface temperatures measured since 1982. These data indicate that the current warming could become the most powerful climate event of its kind since 1950.
El Niño, a cyclical warming of the Pacific Ocean surface, changes weather patterns globally and often causes severe droughts in Southern Africa, delays in monsoons in Asia, and extreme rainfall in other regions. The director of the Food Security Analysis Service of the World Food Programme, Jean-Martin Bauer, warned:
"These are events that in the past led to mass starvation."
Based on an analysis of 45 countries considered vulnerable to the effects of the natural phenomenon, it is estimated that the number of people facing severe food insecurity will jump to 274 million — an alarming increase of 22%.
Central America and Southern Africa are expected to take the hardest hit, with a jump of 83% and 75% respectively in the number of hungry people. Southern Africa, as well as South America and the Caribbean, could each see over 12 million additional people fall into the cruel cycle of hunger.
Bauer noted that although global food markets entered the El Niño period in a relatively stable state thanks to good harvests in 2025, the ongoing war in the Middle East and potential crop losses due to weather conditions could drive prices upward. At the same time, funding cuts from donors in the USA and Europe are harming the ability to collect data and monitor the crisis.
In 2024, about 1.1 million surveys were conducted by the organization, but the figure dropped to 800,000 in 2025, and this year there has been a further decline due to severe budget constraints.
The agency is calling on governments and aid organizations to prepare in advance and not wait. In the regions of East Africa, the Sahel, and Central America, a severe shortage of rain is expected, while Somalia and neighboring areas are at risk of devastating floods.
Richard Choularton, the organization's Director of Climate and Resilience, noted that the UN agency has already expanded its anticipatory action plans in 18 countries, providing assistance to more than 1.3 million people so far. "When there is a significant risk like El Niño, high-frequency data collection is required, and reducing it could make it harder for us to identify developing food crises in time," concluded Bauer.
