El Niño could trigger major humanitarian crises, UN warns

The United Nations has issued a stark warning about the impending return of the El Niño climate phenomenon, predicting it could trigger significant humanitarian consequences across multiple regions worldwide.

Tom Fletcher, the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, highlighted that extreme heat, droughts, and floods associated with El Niño are poised to endanger millions in Latin America, East and Southern Africa, and parts of Asia and the Pacific. The previous El Niño cycle in 2023-2024 already left tens of millions in dire need of food, water, and basic necessities.

This upcoming cycle is anticipated to be even more destructive. The situation is compounded by ongoing armed conflicts, rising numbers of displaced people, and high prices for fuel, fertilizers, and food. The global humanitarian system is already strained by funding shortages, making the response to potential El Niño impacts even more challenging.

In response to these escalating risks, the UN is preparing to allocate up to $100 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund. This funding is intended for early preparedness measures to mitigate the potential fallout from this powerful climate event. El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by warming Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, influences weather globally, causing diverse effects like droughts and floods.

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The return of the climate phenomenon El Niño, which in the near future could lead to large-scale humanitarian consequences in a number of regions of the planet.