El Niño conditions form in Pacific, UN agencies seek $202 million for anticipatory aid

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated last week that El Niño conditions had formed in the Pacific. The agency assigned a 63 percent chance that the event would reach very strong levels by the end of the year. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning on Tuesday that the pattern would intensify existing heat and wildfire conditions.

The World Meteorological Organization had earlier advised countries to prepare for the return of El Niño.

Historical context Adugna Woyessa, an epidemiologist at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, described personal experience with earlier El Niño events in Ethiopia. He recalled school closures and food distribution during the 1972-73 and 1982-83 episodes.

Woyessa said nutrition levels determine how populations withstand health effects linked to the weather pattern. Past strong El Niño years have been associated with crop failures and elevated malaria rates in parts of Africa and Asia.

Current funding appeal On Thursday the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization issued their first joint appeal for anticipatory funding. The agencies reported a $167 million shortfall against the $202 million required to reach 8.8 million people with drought-resistant seeds, flood defenses, water storage, and cash transfers.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network projected that 115-125 million people will need urgent food assistance by December, with elevated famine risk cited in Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia. Sonali McDermid, a climate scientist at New York University, said the combination of debt levels, energy prices, and restricted fertilizer supplies increases exposure for vulnerable countries.