Dutch Red Cross warns El Nino threatens food security, water supplies worldwide

The Dutch Red Cross raised the alarm on Tuesday that extreme weather linked to the approaching El Nino event could threaten food security and risk causing water shortages worldwide.

"Extreme weather always hits the people who have the least the hardest. ... They will soon be hit three times as hard by drought, floods, or extreme heat. That only increases the risk of food shortages and disease," Harm Goossens, the director of the Dutch Red Cross, said in a written statement.

Goossens noted that drought could lead to harvest failures and increase food prices, while also causing severe food insecurity in Sudan, South Sudan, and the Middle East.

“By taking action sooner, we prevent a great deal of suffering, and ultimately, aid is cheaper and more effective,” he further said.

Goossens stressed the need to act in time to prevent extreme weather from escalating into a major humanitarian disaster. "The greatest gain lies in preparation,” Goossens added.

The World Meteorological Organization recently warned that there is an 80% chance that El Nino will emerge during the June-August period, with the probability of it persisting through at least November reaching near or above 90%.