UNICEF warns 347 million children at risk from record‑strength El Niño

UNICEF’s latest analysis projects the 2026‑2027 El Niño to become one of the strongest on record, bringing unusually wet or dry conditions to nearly 100 countries. More than 347 million children—190 million in Asia and the Pacific, 41 million each in East and Southern Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, and 22 million in Europe and Central Asia—will face heightened risk of floods, droughts, and related disruptions. Children in Colombia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines may suffer water scarcity and malnutrition, while those in the Greater Horn of Africa could confront riverine flooding and disease spread. UNICEF urges governments, donors and partners to invest in anticipatory action, climate‑resilient systems and humanitarian access before impacts peak.