18/05/2026
In the 1870s, a strong El Niño triggered droughts and famine that killed millions of people. Food systems collapsed in many places around the planet.
Today, scientists warn this year’s El Niño could be even worse. And this time it will hit a world that is already hotter, more crowded, and more fragile.
That means the impact could be bigger and faster: more floods and droughts, more crop failures, more hunger, more people forced from their homes and more pressure on food and water systems.
At the same time, the world keeps spending billions on the military while neglecting things that protect lives – like climate adaptation. The UK has also cut its Green Climate Fund commitments in half at a time when it is needed most.
This is a dangerous step. It weakens trust and reduces support for countries that are already facing severe climate shocks.
We need the cuts to be reversed. A global famine will impact the UK too. We don’t grow a lot of the food we eat locally - especially in the winter - so we will not be immune to the impacts.
If we don’t adapt, we will keep reacting to disasters instead of preventing them.
And that will ALWAYS cost more lives and more money.