More than 60 million people worldwide, including 40 million in eastern and southern Africa, are at risk of hunger due to the El Niño weather pattern that is now waning, said leaders of three UN agencies. “El Niño has caused primarily a food and agricultural crisis,” said FAO chief Jose Graziano da Silva in announcing additional FAO funding to mitigate the impact of El Niño and a following La Niña pattern that would bring above-average rainfall and flooding to areas hit by drought.
The leaders of FAO, the World Food Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development said there was a three-month window before the 2016/17 planting season begins in southern Africa. Materials for crop farming are needed so millions of rural families can avoid reliance on food aid, said the agencies.
“Farms have failed, opportunities for work have evaporated, and nutritious food has become increasingly inaccessible for many communities,” said WFP head Ertharin Cousin. “But new humanitarian crises are not inevitable if we invest in support for communities and provide the tools and skills required to endure climate-related shocks.”
IFAD official Lakshmi Menon said small-scale farmers are the most vulnerable to extreme weather, such as El Niño, because they rely on rain to water their crops and have limited ability to rebound from weather shocks.