United Nations: Latin America and the Caribbean face a greater risk of food insecurity due to El Niño

The FAO, IFAD, and WFP warned of the increased risk of food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean due to forecasts of the El Niño phenomenon, which could worsen the situation for more than 33 million people already suffering from hunger in the region. During a high-level roundtable, the agencies emphasized the importance of proactive action and strengthening resilience to extreme weather events. They highlighted previous interventions during the 2023–2024 El Niño in nine countries of the region, which benefited more than 100,000 people through cash transfers, distribution of agricultural inputs, and rehabilitation of water systems, achieving increases of up to 40% in maize and bean production.