Note, the UN warns that El Nino 2026 has the potential to make 49 million people in the world hungry.

JAKARTA - The number of people facing acute food insecurity could increase by almost 49 million by the end of 2027 due to the increasingly intense El Nino climate phenomenon, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday.

"The El Nino period 2015-2016 has an impact on the food security of 60-100 million people. WFP's initial analysis projects that the El Nino period 2026-2027 could cause at least another 49 million people to experience acute food insecurity by the end of 2027," said WFP.

The UN agency analyzed 45 countries that have faced food instability, where El Nino is likely to have a significant impact on rainfall, temperature and potential drought and flooding.

It is said that there is a high probability of a very strong event, given that the surface temperature has reached a record high. This phenomenon has the potential to be the strongest since 1950.

The peak is estimated to occur between September to December 2026, with the impact still felt until 2027.

Central America and southern Africa are expected to be the most affected regions, with significant reductions in food security conditions also expected in East Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

El Nino is a natural phenomenon where the sea water temperature in the equatorial Pacific rises to an abnormal level, thus triggering climate change around the world.

A UN report released in July showed that global hunger fell for the third consecutive year in 2025, with 608-696 million people facing a food crisis.