UNICEF: more than 347 million children in nearly a hundred countries will be affected by El Niño

UNICEF reported that from October to December 2026, more than 347 million children in nearly a hundred countries will be affected by unusually wet or dry conditions due to El Niño. The organization warns that this will increase the risk of floods and droughts.

According to UNICEF, such conditions may lead to displacement, malnutrition, water shortages, and disease outbreaks. The organization also notes that 1.1 billion children are already exposed to at least three climate threats at once — drought, extreme heat, and floods.

In addition, from 2016 to 2023, more than 20,000 minors migrated every day because of weather disasters, and El Niño may intensify this trend. According to UNICEF, the largest number of children at risk is in the Asia-Pacific region — 190 million.

Head of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov said in early October to RIA Novosti that El Niño has been known for decades and many forecasts did not come true because of the complexity of the models. “You have to look at the Earth as a whole — the salinity of the water, its temperature, other currents. It is certain that changes will occur; the only question is over what period of time”, he said.

Sources

• Vedomosti