Schoolchildren walk through floodwater on their way to school in South Sudan. Image credit: UNICEF/UNI644339

NNA News - More than 162 million children, representing over two-thirds of all children in Eastern and Southern Africa, live in areas affected by a strengthening 2026/2027 El Niño, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children's agency said intensifying drought, extreme heat and flooding threaten children's nutrition, health, education, safety and access to safe water and sanitation across the region. UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Etleva Kadilli said forecasts had created a narrow window for governments and humanitarian agencies to act before the most severe impacts are felt. “The threat from El Niño is growing, and the risks for children are already clear,” Kadilli said. “Across the region, children are facing food and water insecurity, overstretched health services and disrupted learning. Further, major climate shocks will likely push children and the systems they rely on to breaking point.”

UNICEF identified urgent and overlapping risks in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Somalia, flooding could directly affect up to 2.5 million people under the most severe scenario mapped by UNICEF, potentially driving displacement and disrupting children's access to food, healthcare, safe water and education. In Ethiopia, tens of thousands of children are expected to face heightened risks, particularly in areas already experiencing severe food insecurity and vulnerability. In South Sudan, drought, extreme heat and localised flooding could deepen food insecurity and malnutrition, increase disease outbreaks and compound the risks of famine and large-scale displacement.

UNICEF said less than one per cent of international humanitarian assistance is currently available for anticipatory action, despite the role of early intervention in reducing humanitarian needs and protecting development gains. The agency is calling for urgent investment before the impacts of El Niño peak, including stronger nutrition services, pre-positioning of life-saving supplies and expanded early screening and treatment.

Children wade through floodwater in South Sudan, highlighting the risks flooding poses to children and access to essential services. Image credit: UNICEF/UN0594308/Naftalin

It is also calling for stronger health and water, sanitation and hygiene systems, improved disease surveillance, vaccination campaigns and measures to keep children in school, including reinforced infrastructure and alternative learning spaces. UNICEF is seeking US$173 million within its existing 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children requirements to provide anticipatory and life-saving assistance across the 13 priority countries.

The agency said the effects of El Niño are expected to vary across the region. Eastern Africa faces an increased threat of flooding during the short-rains season, while poor rainfall and harvests could deepen food insecurity across Southern Africa. The consequences for children could continue into 2027. Kadilli said the region already knew which children were most vulnerable and what measures could help protect them. “We know what is coming, which children are most at risk and how to protect them,” she said. “The choice is whether the world responds now, or waits until the crisis escalates, and children pay an even greater price.”