Unprecedented El Niño Threatens 50 Million with Hunger, UN Warns
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
The World Meteorological Organization and UN agencies warned on October 21, 2026, that an unprecedented El Niño could cause increased hunger for 50 million people globally. The UN has allocated over $50 million for aid to 11 at-risk countries, with Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions expected to be most affected. The phenomenon is projected to continue until February 2027, though its specific impact on Israel's upcoming winter remains unforecasted.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An unprecedented El Niño event threatens 50 million people with increased hunger, according to the WMO and UN.
- The UN has allocated over $50 million to aid 11 countries facing severe impacts from the phenomenon.
- El Niño is expected to persist until February 2027, with record-breaking temperature anomalies.
- Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific regions are identified as the most vulnerable areas.
- There is currently no official forecast on El Niño's specific impact on Israel's upcoming winter weather.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) jointly warned of the current El Niño phenomenon during a press conference in Geneva on October 21, 2026. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Sulo described the event as unprecedented in its strength and outside the scope of four decades of monitoring. The UN estimates that approximately 50 million people may face increased hunger due to El Niño. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated over $50 million to assist 11 vulnerable countries. OCHA's Emergency Relief Coordinator characterized the phenomenon as a "wrecking ball" set to impact Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Central America as areas requiring early preparation.
El Niño is defined by the WMO as a natural, recurring rise in the temperature of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean's surface, typically occurring every two to seven years and lasting nine to twelve months. Sulo clarified that El Niño does not add new heat to the planet but rather releases heat previously stored by the ocean beneath its surface. An update released on October 8 projected the El Niño 3.4 index to reach approximately +3.7 degrees Celsius above average in December, surpassing the previous record of +2.6 between November 2015 and January 2016. The WMO also indicated a nearly 100 percent probability that the phenomenon will persist until February 2027.
Regarding the weather in Israel, the WMO's forecast mentioned more humid conditions for northern parts of the Arabian Peninsula but did not specifically name Israel or the Eastern Mediterranean. The Israeli Meteorological Service's website currently shows no seasonal forecast related to El Niño. There is no official published forecast indicating whether the winter in the Galilee, the Triangle, or the Negev will be wetter or drier due to El Niño. The confirmed information is that the phenomenon is strong and persistent, with its most severe impacts expected in other global regions, according to the UN. The WMO regularly issues updates on El Niño and La Niña, which will provide further clarity on potential changes to forecasts for the Arab region as the rainy season approaches.