Global Impacts of El Niño Cause Severe Drought and Food Insecurity

The El Niño phenomenon is causing widespread drought and severe disruptions to water and food security across multiple regions. In Latin America, the United Nations World Food Programme warns that 16 million people may face food insecurity due to crop failure and depleted water reserves. This crisis is particularly acute in the Central American Dry Corridor, including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Honduras has placed nearly 80 percent of its territory under drought alert, while El Salvador and Panama have declared states of emergency. In the Philippines, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reports that a very strong El Niño is expected to develop toward the end of the year. This is forecast to bring way below normal rainfall to most of the country, with some areas potentially seeing a 60 percent or more reduction in average monthly rainfall. The phenomenon, characterized by warmer than usual surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, alters global atmospheric circulation. This can lead to opposite extremes, such as floods in some regions and droughts in others. While the center lean source focuses on the specific meteorological timeline and rainfall projections for the Philippines, the center right lean source emphasizes the humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine in Latin America.