More than 347 million children in nearly 100 countries and territories are expected to face unusually wet or dry conditions between October and December 2026 because of El Niño, UNICEF said in a statement published on 6 October 2026. The 2026-2027 El Niño is forecast to become one of the strongest on record, raising the risk of extreme floods and droughts.

UNICEF put the largest number of affected children in Asia and the Pacific at 190 million, followed by East and Southern Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean at 41 million each. Europe and Central Asia accounts for 22 million, while the Middle East and Northern Africa and West and Central Africa account for 20 million each. Children in Colombia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines are expected to see drier conditions, while those in the Greater Horn of Africa, especially Somalia, face wetter-than-normal conditions.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said El Niño can mean displacement, malnutrition, water shortages, disease outbreaks and school closures for children. The agency said the figures estimate where unusual precipitation is likely rather than impacts, with a 70 per cent probability of the unusual conditions occurring, and called for early investment in preventive action.