El Niño could push 50 million people into acute hunger by end of 2027

This figure adds to the hundreds of millions already experiencing severe hunger due to prolonged droughts in parts of Africa and food price pressures from the war in Iran. The United Nation’s World Food Programme WFP warned that even a less severe El Niño than some models predict would exacerbate the situation, increasing the 225 million people currently facing acute food insecurity in 45 countries by over a fifth. Analysis suggests Central and South America, the Caribbean, and southern Africa are likely to be most affected.

South and Southeast Asia are expected to experience reduced rainfall, posing significant challenges for agriculture. This year's El Niño, described as potentially the strongest in at least 70 years, is influenced by the climate crisis. While private sector forecasters have noted El Niño's impact on global food prices, the WFP report is the first to focus on global hunger.

The WFP aims to mitigate the effects through early warning systems and anticipatory relief efforts, budgeting at least US$80 million. The consequences are expected to be far-reaching, with the most severe impacts in southern Africa anticipated during the 2027 to 2028 lean season, despite a good harvest last year. WFP director of climate and resilience service Richard Choularton noted that efforts have been hindere