LONDON — The return of El Niño, a powerful climate pattern that warms the Pacific Ocean, is raising alarm bells among climate scientists and humanitarian agencies worldwide. Recent projections indicate that this year’s El Niño could exacerbate existing humanitarian crises by intensifying extreme heatwaves, triggering relentless droughts, and causing widespread flooding across vulnerable regions.
El Niño, which occurs every two to seven years, has already begun altering weather patterns globally, with devastating effects on agriculture, water supplies, and public health. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued warnings that this year’s event could rival or surpass the intensity of the 2015–2016 El Niño, one of the strongest on record, which displaced millions and caused billions in damages.
Developing nations in East Africa, South Asia, and Central America are bracing for the worst, as these regions have historically borne the brunt of El Niño’s impacts. In Somalia, for instance, prolonged droughts have left over 8 million people facing acute food insecurity, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Meanwhile, flooding in Pakistan last year killed over 1,700 people and displaced millions, a crisis that climate experts warn could be repeated—or even worsened—this season.
In response, the United Nations has launched a multi-agency humanitarian appeal aimed at securing up to $100 million to support emergency relief efforts. The funding will be directed toward food distribution, clean water access, healthcare services, and disaster preparedness programs across high-risk countries. “El Niño is not a distant threat—it is a present reality for millions of people already living on the edge,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a press conference last week. “We must act now to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Climate analysts emphasize that El Niño’s effects are being compounded by long-term climate change trends. “Rising global temperatures are making extreme weather events more frequent and severe,” said Dr. Maria Santos, a climate scientist at the University of Cape Town. “This year’s El Niño could push already fragile ecosystems and communities beyond their breaking points.”
In the coming months, meteorologists will closely monitor ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific to predict the full scope of this year’s El Niño. While some models suggest a moderate event, others warn of a prolonged and intense phase, which could lead to unprecedented disruptions. Farmers in Southeast Asia and Australia, for example, are already reporting early signs of crop failures due to unseasonal rainfall and shifting growing seasons.
Humanitarian organizations are urging swift action to mitigate the worst outcomes. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have mobilized disaster response teams in several countries, while NGOs are working to reinforce early warning systems and build climate-resilient infrastructure. “Preparation is key,” said Dr. Amina Farouk, director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “If we can alert communities in advance, we can save lives.”
The international community is under pressure to step up both funding and coordination efforts. The $100 million UN appeal is part of a broader strategy to address not only the immediate impacts of El Niño but also the long-term consequences of climate-driven displacement and food insecurity. However, experts caution that this amount may only scratch the surface of what is needed, as the full scale of the crisis remains uncertain.
As the world watches closely, one thing is clear: El Niño is no longer a regional concern—it is a global challenge that demands urgent, collaborative action. With climate change intensifying the frequency and severity of such events, the need for proactive resilience-building has never been more critical.
