Dutch Red Cross warns El Nino threatens global food security

The Dutch Red Cross warned on Tuesday that extreme weather associated with the emerging El Nino climate pattern poses severe threats to global food security and water availability, with vulnerable populations in conflict zones facing disproportionate risks of hunger and scarcity.

Disproportionate impact on vulnerable regions

Harm Goossens, director of the Dutch Red Cross, emphasized that marginalized communities bear the brunt of climate shocks, noting that drought conditions could trigger widespread harvest failures while driving food prices higher in regions already facing instability. "Extreme weather always hits the people who have the least the hardest. ... They will soon be hit three times as hard by drought, floods, or extreme heat. That only increases the risk of food shortages and disease," he said. Goossens specifically cited elevated risks across Sudan, South Sudan and the Middle East.

Early intervention urged

Goossens stressed the critical need for timely intervention to prevent extreme weather from spiraling into large-scale humanitarian disasters. “By taking action sooner, we prevent a great deal of suffering, and ultimately, aid is cheaper and more effective,” he said. He added that proactive measures significantly reduce both human suffering and long-term relief costs compared to reactive emergency responses.

Climate outlook

The warnings coincide with a recent forecast from the World Meteorological Organization indicating an 80% probability that El Nino conditions will develop during the June-August period. The UN agency noted that chances of the phenomenon persisting through at least November reach near or above 90%. Meteorologists expect the pattern to intensify through the northern hemisphere summer.