El Niño and Gang Violence Push Millions Toward Hunger

The United Nations and the World Meteorological Organisation have warned that a strengthening El Niño phenomenon could put 50 million people at risk of hunger globally. The weather event is triggering divergent disasters, including torrential rains and flooding in Argentina, deadly forest fires in Peru, and severe water shortages in French Guiana. In Somalia, the International Organisation for Migration warns that 874,000 people could be displaced by flooding.

Haiti is experiencing a particularly acute crisis where nearly six million people face severe hunger and two million are at emergency levels of food insecurity. This situation is driven by the combination of El Niño weather extremes and escalating gang violence. Gangs have blocked main roads to Port-au-Prince and forced farmers from their lands, severely hindering food production and distribution.

In response to the instability and the October 18 disappearance of four Salvadorean aviation technicians, the Government of El Salvador has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers to Haiti. To address the immediate humanitarian needs, the World Food Programme is seeking $78 million to sustain its operations in Haiti through March. UN officials are urging governments to close funding gaps and implement coordinated anticipatory actions to prevent the worst human consequences of these weather extremes.