FAO and WFP seek $202 million to aid 8.8 million people facing El Niño‑driven climate shocks in Africa and Asia

The World Meteorological Organization reported that climate shocks intensified across Africa and Asia in 2025. In Africa, extreme weather affected at least 13 million people and caused over 3,000 deaths, with floods killing more than 200 in Nigeria and over 160 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while drought deepened hardship in East Africa. In Asia, the WMO’s State of Climate report recorded record heat in Japan, China and South Korea, a loss of mass in all 23 monitored High‑Mountain Asia glaciers, faster‑than‑average sea‑level rise in the northern Indian Ocean, and record‑low ocean pH values, threatening water security for hundreds of millions.

In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme launched their first joint anticipatory action appeal, asking donors for $202 million to protect up to 8.8 million people in 22 priority countries before El Niño impacts materialise. Planned interventions include cash assistance, drought‑ and flood‑resistant seeds, livestock protection, water‑storage systems and early‑warning messaging. WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau warned, “We now have the tools to anticipate these events, what matters is how we act with that.”