Record El Nino Threatens 49 Million With Food Insecurity

A record-breaking El Nino is triggering severe drought, heat waves, and flooding across Asia and other global regions, with the phenomenon forecast to peak in December. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates a 69% probability that this is the strongest event since 1950. The U.N. World Food Program warns the disruption could push 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027, particularly in Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and Central America.

In Indonesia, the event is fueling wildfires in Banten and depleting a major reservoir in Jakarta that supplies 42 million people. Lower flows in the Mekong River Basin are disrupting fishing and farming across six nations. These climate impacts are compounding an existing energy and fertilizer crisis in Southeast Asia triggered by war in Iran, leaving governments with fewer reserves to mitigate the damage.

Global food security is at risk as rice and palm oil production faces disruption in India, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Goldman Sachs estimates global food commodity prices could rise by more than 15%, while HSBC warns of economic losses exceeding trillions of dollars. In response, the prime minister of Malaysia has ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to implement mitigation measures.