Food Programme warns El Niño could add 49 million to hunger

A powerful El Niño weather event could push nearly 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027, raising the global total to 274 million across some of the world's most vulnerable regions, the United Nations World Food Programme warned on August 5, 2026. The agency said there is an 81% probability of a very strong El Niño, with Pacific Ocean temperatures at their highest levels since at least 1982, potentially making it the strongest event since 1950.

The periodic warming of ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific alters global weather patterns, often causing droughts, delayed monsoons, and erratic rainfall that threaten agricultural production. Based on an analysis of 45 vulnerable countries, the WFP estimates the number of people facing acute food insecurity could rise by 22%. Central America and Southern Africa are projected to be among the hardest-hit regions, with the number of food-insecure people expected to increase by 83% in Central America and nearly 75% in Southern Africa. Southern Africa, South America, and the Caribbean could each see more than 12 million additional people fall into acute food insecurity.