WMO and the UN relief chief appeal for help ahead of what may be the strongest El Niño on record

21 October 2026

Two UN agencies appealed on 21 October 2026 for immediate help for communities hit by what may be the strongest El Niño on record.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures may rise to 3.8℃ above average between November 2026 and January 2027; an anomaly of 0.5℃ is enough for an El Niño alert.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said some 50 million people could face increased hunger and that Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya urgently need funding before heavy rains.
He released more than $50 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help 11 countries, including Chad, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.
An African Development Bank estimate puts the cost to African countries at $10 to $20 billion.