The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the intensifying El Niño weather phenomenon could push nearly six million additional people in West and Central Africa into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027, deepening an already worsening hunger crisis across the region.
According to the UN agency, erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, flooding and rising temperatures associated with El Niño are expected to disrupt agricultural production, reduce household incomes and increase food prices, leaving millions more vulnerable to hunger.
The projection forms part of WFP’s latest global assessment, which estimates that a powerful El Niño could drive an additional 49 million people into acute food insecurity across 45 vulnerable countries by the end of next year. West and Central Africa alone are expected to account for nearly six million of the new cases.
The agency noted that insecurity, armed conflicts and attacks on humanitarian aid routes have further complicated relief operations in several parts of the region, making it increasingly difficult to deliver assistance to vulnerable communities.
It warned that expanding illegal checkpoints and growing insecurity have significantly increased the number of hard-to-reach locations, limiting humanitarian access and worsening the plight of affected populations.
WFP urged governments, donors and humanitarian partners to act early by investing in anticipatory measures, including climate-resilient farming, early warning systems and emergency food assistance, to reduce the impact of the looming climate shock.
The organisation said timely interventions could help protect livelihoods, safeguard food production and prevent millions of people from slipping into severe hunger.
Scientists estimate there is an 81 per cent probability that the current El Niño event will strengthen into one of the most severe on record, with the potential to trigger widespread droughts, floods and other extreme weather events across several regions of the world.
