November 2016 - The humanitarian crisis arising from the 2015-2016 El Niño is continuing to deepen, with the United Nations estimating that more than 60 million people are now affected worldwide. While international donors, including Canada, have already stepped up with humanitarian assistance to save lives and protect livelihoods, a significant funding gap persists and humanitarian needs are expected to escalate well into 2017. The impact is most pronounced in Ethiopia, which experienced its worst drought in 50 years, leaving 10 million people in need of emergency food assistance. In the Americas, Haiti is one of the most affected countries, with a third consecutive year of drought, exacerbated by El Niño, leaving more than 3.6 million people food insecure. Similar impacts are being felt around the globe. To date, twenty three countries have appealed for help to meet critical needs, including food, agricultural support, and water and sanitation. In part with Canada's support, the World Food Program (WFP) is helping to meet the emergency food needs of drought-affected people in some of the countries and regions worst hit by El Niño, including: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan in eastern Africa; Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe in southern Africa; El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua in the Americas, and Papua New Guinea in the Asia Pacific region. Although specific programming differs based on each country context, WFP is saving lives and protecting livelihoods through the provision of direct general food assistance, cash-for-work or food-for-work schemes, and targeted supplementary feeding for particularly vulnerable groups.
