Severe Impacts of the 2023/2024 El Niño Event: A Monthly Update

The December 2024 update details the severe impacts of the El Niño event during 2023/2024, identifying it as one of the five most intense episodes recorded. It highlights the extensive weather-related disruptions, with over 60 million individuals affected, including severe droughts and devastating floods across various regions. The report underscores the compounded challenges faced by vulnerable communities amidst food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and economic instability.

The December 2024 Monthly Update on the El Niño and La Niña response discusses the severe climate anomalies observed during the 2023/2024 El Niño event. This episode was recognized as one of the five most intense on record, characterized by sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding 2°C in the Pacific Ocean. The impacts of this phenomenon were profound, triggering extreme weather events from droughts to floods across multiple regions, notably in Central America, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa.

The World Weather Attribution report attributes most extreme weather events from September 2023 to May 2024 to El Niño, indicating widespread droughts affecting over 60 million individuals, particularly in vulnerable communities. In Southern Africa, the severe drought impacted more than 30 million people, escalating food insecurity and undermining livelihoods. Conversely, flooding in Brazil, Dubai, Oman, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and East Africa further exacerbated these challenges, highlighting the extensive reach of El Niño’s effects.

The report highlights that the repercussions of El Niño extend beyond mere food insecurity. Flood-affected regions reported spikes in disease outbreaks, such as cholera and malaria, and increased protection risks for vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. Economic repercussions compounded existing vulnerabilities, destabilizing social systems and affecting the most marginalized communities, which highlights the intertwined nature of environmental, social, and economic crises exacerbated by climate change.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that significantly influences global weather. The phenomenon alternates between warmer (El Niño) and cooler (La Niña) phases, impacting precipitation and temperature patterns worldwide. The 2023/2024 El Niño episode is marked by unprecedented temperature anomalies and has led to a myriad of extreme weather events, emphasizing the critical need for understanding its effects, particularly on vulnerable communities already grappling with the ramifications of climate change, conflict, and economic instability.

In summary, the 2023/2024 El Niño event stands as one of the most severe on record, with far-reaching effects that have compounded the vulnerabilities of millions across the globe. The distressing combination of droughts and floods illustrates the urgent need for robust climate adaptation strategies. As vulnerable communities face unprecedented challenges, a concerted response becomes essential to mitigate the impacts of such climatic phenomena and support those most affected.

Original Source: reliefweb.int