El Niño could push 49 million more into acute famine, UN agency warns

A severe El Niño event could push an additional 49 million people into acute famine, exacerbating the global food crisis, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) warned. The agency projects that global acute food insecurity will impact 274 million individuals in 45 countries, with Central America and Southern Africa facing the most severe consequences.

The WFP's report indicates an 81% probability of a very intense El Niño, potentially the strongest since 1950, as sea surface temperatures reach their highest levels since at least 1982. El Niño, a periodic warming of Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, disrupts global weather patterns, often leading to droughts in Southern Africa, delayed monsoons in parts of Asia, and erratic rainfall elsewhere.

"These are phenomena that, in the past, have triggered large-scale food crises," said Jean-Martin Bauer, director of the WFP's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service. The WFP estimates that the number of people facing acute food insecurity could rise by nearly 49 million, an increase of 22% from the already affected population, if swift action is not taken to avert disaster.

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These are phenomena that, in the past, have triggered large-scale food crises.