Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Climate impacts have intensified across Africa in 2025, with extreme weather and climate-related events affecting at least 13 million people and causing more than 3,000 reported deaths, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Flooding accounted for over half of all recorded weather hazards, including severe floods in Nigeria that killed more than 200 people and flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo causing over 160 deaths. Meanwhile, drought conditions have deepened hardship in parts of East Africa.
Africa is warming faster than the global average, with rapid glacier retreat and sea level rise exceeding global rates since 1999. Ice coverage on Mount Kilimanjaro has declined from 11.4 square kilometres in 1900 to less than one square kilometre in recent years. Scientists warn these changes increase the frequency and severity of climate shocks, reducing the window for preparedness and adaptation.
Amid these trends, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) warn that a potentially strong El Niño weather pattern expected to peak through late 2026 and into 2027 may trigger further climate disruption. Projected changes in rainfall could bring drought to some regions and severe flooding to others, threatening harvests, livestock, water supplies, and food production across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
In response, the FAO and WFP have launched their first Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal, seeking $202 million to help nearly 8.8 million people prepare in advance for the expected El Niño impacts. The appeal focuses on proactive interventions such as cash assistance, drought- and flood-resistant seeds, livestock protection, water storage systems, and tailored early warning messaging.