Environment
The United Nations has warned that the current El Niño climate phenomenon is approaching an unusually intense peak, threatening to trigger devastating consequences around the world.
The United Nations has warned that the current El Niño climate phenomenon is approaching an unusually intense peak, threatening to trigger devastating consequences around the world. International agencies have called for immediate emergency measures to address the looming humanitarian and economic crisis. During a major press conference in Geneva, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Celeste Saulo and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher jointly expressed serious concern over the potential impact of the phenomenon. Saulo said the current El Niño is so unusual in its intensity that it has exceeded the range shown in monitoring charts over the past four decades. It is expected to peak in December, but its human consequences, including extreme heat, floods and droughts, are likely to persist throughout 2027 and beyond.
According to the WMO’s latest global climate report, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific could rise to 3.8 degrees Celsius above average between November and January. This would be the highest three-month reading since records began, surpassing the previous record of 2.6 degrees Celsius set during 2015–2016. This natural climate phenomenon typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts between nine and 12 months. Its effects are being compounded by human-induced climate change. The previous El Niño played a key role in making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the hottest year in recorded history.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described the phenomenon as a “wrecking ball” for economies and humanity, warning that it would severely affect Latin America, East and Southern Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region. He cautioned that its long-term consequences would be felt for months and years. Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya urgently need supplies ahead of anticipated heavy rainfall. Southern Africa requires seeds and livestock support, while Central America needs assistance with livelihoods. Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific must prepare for droughts, floods and storms. In Central America, livestock and crops are already suffering severe losses because of drought.
Fletcher warned that the worsening global crises involving conflict, displacement and soaring fuel, fertilizer and food prices could leave an additional 50 million people facing severe hunger worldwide. He stressed that the next two weeks would be critically important for taking action, adding that the humanitarian aid system alone lacks the capacity to manage a threat of this magnitude. To help countries prepare before the worst impacts materialize, Fletcher has released $50 million to support 11 frontline countries, including Chad, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. He urged governments, development banks and financial institutions to mobilize financial resources before the damage occur, emphasizing the need for urgent preventive action to reduce the humanitarian and economic consequences of the impending crisis.
