More than 162 million children, representing over two-thirds of all children in eastern and southern Africa, live in regions vulnerable to the intensifying 2026/2027 El Nino phenomenon, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
According to UNICEF, intensifying droughts, extreme heat and severe flooding threaten children's nutrition, health, education, safety, and access to safe water and sanitation.
Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF regional director for eastern and southern Africa, warned that the threat from El Nino is accelerating and the risks to children are already clear, adding that forecasts provide a narrow yet critical window to act before the worst impacts materialize.
"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," Kadilli said in a statement.
UNICEF assessments highlight compounding and immediate risks for children across Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In Somalia, severe flooding could directly affect up to 2.5 million people, fueling displacement and disrupting access to food, healthcare, safe water and education, UNICEF said.
In Ethiopia, tens of thousands of children face heightened risks, particularly in regions already grappling with acute food insecurity and deep vulnerability.
Meanwhile, in South Sudan, a combination of drought, extreme heat and localized flooding threatens to exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition, trigger disease outbreaks, and compound the risks of famine and large-scale displacement, it said.
Less than 1 percent of international humanitarian assistance is currently allocated to anticipatory action, a critical oversight given its vital role in saving lives, mitigating human suffering and safeguarding hard-won development gains, according to UNICEF.
It said early, flexible financing is essential to blunt the impact of El Nino before conditions deteriorate further.
To address these critical response gaps before impacts peak, UNICEF is calling for urgent investments to scale up nutrition services, including by pre-positioning life-saving supplies and expanding early screening and treatment.
It also called for stronger health systems, improved disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns, safe water access, and measures to keep children learning, including by reinforcing school infrastructure and establishing alternative learning spaces.