The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme have launched their first-ever Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal to protect vulnerable communities from the potential impacts of a strong El Niño weather pattern. The appeal seeks USD 202 million to support nearly 9 million people across 22 high-risk priority countries.
The appeal calls for urgent and flexible funding before climate shocks become full-scale emergencies. FAO and WFP warn that stronger El Niño conditions could bring droughts, floods and storms across parts of Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, threatening food security, agricultural production and livelihoods.
El Niño is expected to create drier-than-average conditions in some regions and wetter, flood-prone conditions in others. These weather disruptions can affect planting seasons, crop growth, harvests, pasture availability and water supplies, placing already vulnerable households at greater risk.
The appeal comes at a time when millions of people are already facing acute food insecurity due to conflict, displacement, economic instability, recurrent climate shocks and wider disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. FAO and WFP say early action is essential to prevent these pressures from worsening into deeper food crises.
The two agencies are already prepared to provide anticipatory support to 1.2 million people projected to be affected by El Niño. With an additional USD 167 million, they aim to expand assistance to another 7.6 million people, bringing total planned support to 8.8 million people across priority countries.
The joint appeal is based on evidence that anticipatory action is both effective and cost-efficient. According to FAO and WFP, every dollar invested in early action can generate up to USD 7 in avoided losses and response costs, helping communities reduce damage before disasters escalate.
FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol emphasized that early action is more effective and less costly than responding after a crisis has intensified. She said the tools and data already exist to identify risks in advance, but timely financing is needed to help countries protect food production and livelihoods before critical farming windows are lost.
WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau warned that the world cannot afford another food crisis. He said early action can help keep food on the table, protect those most at risk and reduce the cost of humanitarian response if resources are made available before the crisis worsens.
The joint FAO-WFP appeal highlights the growing importance of anticipatory humanitarian action in a world facing more frequent and severe climate-related shocks. By acting before droughts, floods and storms cause widespread damage, the agencies aim to protect lives, safeguard livelihoods and reduce future humanitarian needs.
