The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) launched their first joint anticipatory appeal on Thursday, seeking US$202 million to protect almost 9 million people in 22 high-risk countries from the potential impact of a strong El Niño weather pattern. El Niño conditions are predicted to heighten the risk of droughts, floods and storms in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
The appeal calls for urgent, flexible funding in anticipation of climate shocks that could threaten food security, livelihoods, and agricultural production in the world's most vulnerable regions throughout this year and next.
"Experience consistently shows that early action is more effective and less costly than responding after a crisis has escalated," said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.
"We have the data, the tools and the evidence to identify risks before they become emergencies. The challenge is ensuring that financing is available early enough to act."
Drier-than-average conditions in some areas and wetter, flood-risk conditions in others can disrupt planting and growing seasons, as well as harvests, pasture and water availability. El Niño arrives at a time when millions of people are already experiencing acute food insecurity due to conflict, economic instability, displacement, repeated weather-related shocks and global economic disruption.
FAO and WFP say that they are already in a position to provide anticipatory action for some 1.2 million people projected to be affected by El Niño. With an additional investment of $167 million, the two agencies will be able to rapidly expand their support to a further 7.6 million people across 22 priority countries, bringing the total number of people covered to 8.8 million.
"When resources are available before trigger thresholds are reached, countries can protect food production, reduce humanitarian needs and help families safeguard livelihoods before critical planting, harvesting and livestock production windows are lost," Bechdol said.
The funding will support a range of anticipatory actions, including providing cash assistance, distributing drought-tolerant and/or flood-resistant seeds, implementing measures to protect livestock, establishing water harvesting and storage systems, constructing flood protection infrastructure, offering agricultural advice and disseminating early warning information.
The planned interventions aim to help vulnerable households protect their livelihoods, stabilize their food consumption, safeguard their agricultural production and strengthen their resilience to future shocks.
“We cannot afford the fallout of another food crisis,” said Carl Skau, WFP Acting Executive Director.
"With El Niño on the horizon, we have a narrow window to act, so families are not forced into impossible choices later. “
The appeal focuses on 22 countries, balancing key considerations such as risks based on El Niño meteorological forecasts and their possible impact, historical weather patterns, agricultural calendars, existing levels of food insecurity and operational readiness.
The targeted countries are in Africa: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda; and in Asia and the Pacific: Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Timor-Leste; and in Latin America and the Caribbean: Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras and Venezuela.
The appeal comes at a time when humanitarian needs are continuing to rise, global aid budgets face mounting pressure, and climate change is exacerbating the situation worldwide, particularly in regions with fragile food systems and recurring humanitarian crises.
Millions in Africa impacted by extreme weather and climate events in 2025
In a related development, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported Thursday that extreme weather and climate-related events affected at least 13 million people in Africa in 2025, leading to over 3,000 reported fatalities and causing widespread disruption to all sectors of the economy and society.
According to the WMO’s latest State of the Climate in Africa 2025 report, Africa is warming faster than the global average. Since the late nineteenth century, Africa’s glaciers have lost more than 90 percent of their area. Ice coverage on Mount Kilimanjaro has declined from 11.4 square kilometers in 1900 to less than one square kilometer in recent years.
The report also shows that ocean warming continues across the region, accompanied by widespread marine heatwaves. Ocean heat and acidification harm marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of those who depend on them.
From 1999 to 2025, sea-level rise along several regions of the African coast exceeded the global average of 3.6 mm per year, reaching 4.2 mm per year along the Atlantic coast, 5.2 mm per year along the Indian Ocean coast, and 5.6 mm per year in the Red Sea.
Extreme weather is taking a heavy toll on the continent. Floods accounted for more than half of reported extreme events. For example, severe flooding in Nigeria in May led to over 200 deaths, and flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April led to over 160 deaths.
While the 2024/2025 tropical cyclone season was particularly active in the South Indian Ocean, drought affected over 8.5 million people in East Africa.
“The signs of a changing climate are clear across Africa – from increasing temperatures and rising seas to damaging floods and drought,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“This report shows not only the scale of the risks, but also the growing importance of early warnings, climate services and coordinated action to protect lives and livelihoods.”