El Niño could leave millions in Latin America facing food insecurity, U.N. warns

Drought linked to El Niño could leave 16 million people in Latin America without enough food, the regional director of the United Nations World Food Programme told AFP.

Lena Savelli, the WFP’s director for Latin America and the Caribbean, described the situation as deeply concerning and said the region could face one of the strongest El Niño events in recent history. She traveled to Honduras to monitor the drought’s impact.

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In this region, Latin America, we are talking about 16 million people who will probably suffer food insecurity as a result of El Niño’s impact.

The natural weather phenomenon raises surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. That can trigger changes in wind, pressure and rainfall patterns around the world. Honduras has kept almost 80% of its territory under drought alert since August, while El Salvador and Panama have declared emergencies.

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It is a very concerning situation. It could be one of the strongest El Niño events in recent history.

Savelli said the Central American Dry Corridor, an arid belt covering mainly parts of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, ranks among the areas hardest hit by the current drought. The region remains vulnerable to extreme weather events.

The WFP began humanitarian assistance in Latin America in April, distributing food rations and providing financial support to producers. But Savelli warned that the available funding cannot meet the scale of need. “For families who lose their harvests, crops and livelihoods, the impact will last a long time,” she said.

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For families who lose their harvests, crops and livelihoods, the impact will last a long time.

The U.N. World Meteorological Organization warned in September that the event could be the strongest in four decades. It is expected to peak toward the end of the year, with consequences continuing well into 2027.

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The needs go beyond what we have in our pockets.