United Nations food agencies have appealed for US$202 million to help protect 8.8 million people across 22 vulnerable countries from the expected impacts of the El Niño weather pattern, warning of increased risks of droughts, floods and storms.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said the funding would support early interventions to prevent worsening food insecurity as El Niño conditions intensify in the second half of 2026.
The countries identified as most at risk include 12 in Africa Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe alongside countries in Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The agencies said additional financing would allow them to expand assistance beyond the 1.2 million people already targeted.
Planned measures include cash transfers, distribution of climate-resilient seeds, livestock protection programmes and flood-control initiatives aimed at helping communities prepare before extreme weather events hit.
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El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon caused by warming sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific due to weakening trade winds. It typically occurs every two to seven years and can last between nine and 12 months.
The weather pattern is known to disrupt rainfall patterns globally, increasing the likelihood of drought in some regions while triggering heavier rainfall and flooding in others.
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently confirmed the arrival of El Niño and projected a 63 percent chance of an unusually strong or “super El Niño” developing into 2027, according to the report.
The appeal comes as humanitarian agencies face growing pressure from climate-related shocks, conflict and economic challenges that are worsening food insecurity worldwide. FAO has warned that climate extremes are increasingly damaging agricultural production and livelihoods, especially among rural communities.
The UN agencies said early action could help reduce the humanitarian cost of the crisis by protecting farmers, livestock and food systems before major weather disruptions occur.
FAO and WFP are urging governments, donors and international partners to provide urgent funding to help vulnerable populations build resilience ahead of the expected El Niño impacts.
