UN Appeals for $202 Million to Shield Millions from Looming El Niño Crisis Across 22 Vulnerable Nations

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched an urgent appeal for $202 million in emergency funding to help protect millions of people living in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions as forecasters warn that a powerful El Niño weather pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months.

The two U.N. agencies announced Thursday that the funding would support early action measures aimed at reducing the humanitarian impact of severe weather expected to affect 22 high-risk countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The appeal seeks to protect approximately 8.8 million people whose livelihoods and food security could be threatened by drought, flooding, destructive storms and other climate-related disasters.

According to FAO and WFP, forecasts indicate that strong El Niño conditions are likely to develop during the second half of 2026, significantly increasing the risk of extreme weather events across multiple regions. The agencies warned that acting before disasters strike is far more effective and less costly than responding after communities have already suffered widespread losses.

The countries identified as facing the greatest risk include Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe in Africa. In the Asia-Pacific region, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and East Timor have also been highlighted as highly vulnerable. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras and Venezuela are expected to face elevated risks from the changing weather pattern.

The requested funding would enable the agencies to expand assistance well beyond the approximately 1.2 million people already scheduled to receive support through existing humanitarian programs. Officials said the additional resources would allow vulnerable communities to prepare for anticipated climate shocks before they develop into full-scale humanitarian emergencies.

Planned assistance includes direct cash transfers to families, distribution of climate-resilient crop seeds, protection of livestock, rehabilitation of water resources and flood-control projects designed to reduce damage from extreme rainfall. The agencies believe these early interventions can help farmers preserve crops and livestock, strengthen food production and reduce the need for larger emergency relief operations later.

FAO and WFP emphasized that anticipatory action has become increasingly important as climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe. By helping communities prepare before disasters occur, humanitarian organizations can save lives, protect livelihoods and reduce long-term recovery costs.

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon caused by the warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean as trade winds weaken. The event typically develops every two to seven years and usually lasts between nine and twelve months. Although it is a natural part of Earth’s climate system, El Niño can dramatically alter global weather patterns, bringing prolonged drought to some regions while triggering unusually heavy rainfall, flooding and powerful storms in others.

The latest warning follows confirmation from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that El Niño conditions have officially developed. The agency said the climate pattern is expected to strengthen through late 2026 and into early 2027, with forecasters estimating a 63 percent probability that it could become a very strong, or “super,” El Niño event.

A powerful El Niño has the potential to disrupt agriculture, reduce crop yields, increase food prices and worsen humanitarian crises in regions already struggling with conflict, economic instability and existing food shortages. The U.N. agencies warned that early financial support is essential to help vulnerable communities withstand the anticipated climate shocks before they escalate into larger emergencies, urging governments and international donors to act quickly as forecasts point to increasingly severe weather in the months ahead.