El Niño threatens the health of some 60 million people worldwide, mostly in high-risk developing countries, according to the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization, reports the Standard.
WHO Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response Department director Richard Brennan said the health implications of phenomenon are usually more intense in developing countries with less capacity to reduce the consequences of such emergencies. According to the report by WHO, severe drought, flooding, heavy rains and temperature rise are all known effects of El Niño that can lead to food insecurity and malnutrition, disease outbreaks, acute water shortages and disruption of health services.