Nearly 50 million more people in highly vulnerable communities worldwide face acute hunger due to the strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday. The agency projects the number of acutely food-insecure people could surge from 225 million to 274 million by the end of next year, a 22 percent increase driven by climate extremes linked to the 2026-2027 El Niño cycle.
In response, WFP and its partners have activated anticipatory action plans in eight countries — South Sudan, Chad, Mauritania, Uganda, Guatemala, El Salvador, and two others — to protect communities already strained by poverty, conflict, joblessness, and repeated climate shocks. Since May, the agency has deployed more than $14 million in pre-arranged financing, including disaster risk insurance and digital payments, reaching half a million people.
“El Niño is a massive threat to the food security of millions who are already vulnerable,” said Carl Skau, WFP’s Acting Executive Director. “The sooner we help families prepare for these climate shocks, the greater our ability to save lives and protect livelihoods.”
The phenomenon is expected to peak between September and December 2026, but its effects on harvests will reverberate through 2027. WFP analysis of 45 food-insecure countries where El Niño will significantly alter rainfall, temperatures, floods, and droughts shows Central America and southern Africa will bear the brunt. Central America faces the largest proportional increase in food insecurity at 83.1 percent, with over 16 million people affected across Latin America and the Caribbean. In East and Southern Africa, more than 18 million people could see deteriorating conditions, a 26 percent rise, particularly where rain-fed subsistence agriculture dominates. Asia and the Pacific could see 8.2 million additional people facing acute hunger, while West and Central Africa face a 12 percent increase affecting nearly six million.
The agency stressed the varied impacts: some regions already experience below-average rainfall, flooding, and extreme heat, while others face deteriorating conditions during critical planting and harvest seasons. Drawing on lessons from the 2015-2016 El Niño, which affected 60 to 100 million people, WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization have appealed for increased support to scale prevention efforts. Evidence from past events shows every dollar invested in anticipatory action saves between $3 and $7 in avoided losses and response costs.
WFP currently operates active prevention plans in more than 50 countries, working with governments and partners including FAO and OCHA to reduce risks before emergencies escalate. The focus remains on preparing for floods, droughts, and storms before they hit, protecting lives and livelihoods through early intervention rather than reactive aid.
