The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a stark warning that approximately 282 million people globally are at risk of facing acute hunger due to the negative impacts of the La Niña climate phenomenon. La Niña is a recurring event characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Pacific, leading to extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hurricanes, and heavy rainfall.
Escalating Hunger Crisis
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Dominique Burgeon, head of FAO’s Geneva office, noted that the number of people affected is likely to rise. According to the Climate Prediction Center’s probabilistic forecast released in September, there is a 71% chance that La Niña will develop between September and November 2024, potentially lasting through January to March 2025.
The FAO report also highlighted predictions from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), indicating a 55% probability of La Niña during the same period.
Aftermath of El Niño
La Niña’s arrival follows one of the strongest recorded El Niño events from 2023 to 2024. El Niño is a different climate phenomenon that causes global temperatures to rise and disrupts rainfall patterns. Countries like South Africa experienced severe drought, while the Horn of Africa faced extreme flooding after years of dry conditions.
El Niño led to extreme climate events, including droughts, heatwaves, and floods, affecting over 60 million people worldwide and contributing significantly to food insecurity over the past months.
Severe Consequences of La Niña
The FAO report cautions that as affected regions continue to grapple with El Niño’s aftermath, the impending La Niña threatens to worsen already critical vulnerabilities. This collision of extreme weather events could reverse years of developmental progress, drive up food prices, and exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition.
The organization further noted that La Niña has already caused devastating floods and hurricanes in Myanmar, Vietnam, and Nigeria, leading to hundreds of deaths, thousands displaced, and billions of dollars in damages.
Impact on Agriculture and Food Systems
The report also emphasized that regions vulnerable to extreme weather are at high risk of losing homes, livelihoods, and even lives. Agricultural and food systems, which are highly sensitive to climate shifts, could face long-term damage, including soil degradation, loss of water resources, disrupted growing seasons, reduced crop yields, and loss of livestock. These challenges make it harder for farmers to maintain production, potentially pushing millions more into hunger and poverty.
A Call for Proactive Disaster Management
FAO stressed the need for a different approach to disaster management, pointing to the 2015-2016 El Niño as a learning experience. Since then, the organization and its partners have made significant progress by adopting more proactive strategies, including early warning systems and the establishment of flexible funding mechanisms to enable rapid action.
Evidence from regions that implemented these proactive measures shows cost-effectiveness, reduced losses, and improved food security outcomes. These efforts have also led to faster recovery for farmers, highlighting the crucial role of a coordinated, proactive, and flexible approach in reducing the economic costs of the climate crisis.
Supporting Farmers Through Early Action
Thanks to support from partners, FAO has been able to take early action during the recent El Niño, protecting the livelihoods of 1.7 million farmers in 24 countries. These proactive measures ensured that farmers could continue to produce food despite climate shocks, safeguarding their means of living.
