WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Fiji and Asia-Pacific Region Face Compounding Crises Amid 2026 El Niño
WHY IT MATTERS
The compounding crises may exacerbate poverty and gender-based violence, underscoring the need for targeted, gender-transformative action to mitigate the impacts on women and girls.
What happened
The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing the onset of a strong 2026 El Niño event, coinciding with severe economic shocks from the 2026 Middle East Escalation. This combination of crises threatens to disproportionately harm women and girls due to discriminatory gender norms, structural inequalities, and heavy unpaid care burdens.
Without targeted, gender-transformative anticipatory action, the 2026 El Niño may deepen poverty, escalate gender-based violence, and compromise women's food security.
Countries affected include Fiji, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and others in the region.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Fiji: Gender Alert: The 2026 El Nino and Compounding Crises in Asia and the Pacific
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