Private sector steps up to help communities get ahead of El Niño

The Danish Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed USD 7.75 million to protect lives and livelihoods ahead of forecasted weather emergencies and disasters.

ROME, Italy – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a new USD 7.75 million contribution from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to scale up actions ahead of forecasted weather shocks, including the potential impact of El Niño. This is the largest ever private sector investment in WFP anticipatory action and will help vulnerable communities protect lives, preserve livelihoods and better ensure food security before a predicted crisis hits.

The support comes as forecasts indicate the current El Niño could be among the strongest ever recorded. WFP’s own analysis projects that its effects could push 49 million people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027.

WFP will be able to direct this new funding flexibly across 22 countries facing the highest risk of weather-related emergencies. Depending on specific forecasts and operational needs, the support may include providing anticipatory cash transfers to communities at risk, as well as lending WFP’s expertise in early warning systems and predictive analytics to countries in need.

“Scientific innovations, including advances in data and forecasting, are creating new opportunities to act before crises escalate,” said Rikke Johannessen, Director of Global Development at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. “Where shocks can be anticipated with sufficient confidence, acting in advance can reduce the scale and severity of humanitarian needs, and enable a more effective, cost-efficient and dignified response for people most at risk.”

“This is a powerful signal on how the private sector drives a new generation of humanitarian action,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation. “It acts on early warning and equips communities to withstand climate shocks before they become emergencies. Thank you, Novo Nordisk Foundation.”

Together, WFP and the Novo Nordisk Foundation will promote the FAO-WFP Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal, which seeks to protect 8.8 million people across 22 high-risk countries. The contribution from the Novo Nordisk Foundation builds on the catalytic support from the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Denmark to WFP's anticipatory action work since 2020 and is an example of how Danish foundations and other Nordic philanthropies are increasing support to WFP.  

For partners interested in supporting anticipatory action, WFP is seeking investments to:

• Expand anticipatory cash assistance for communities facing forecast climate shocks.
• Strengthen early warning systems and predictive analytics in high-risk countries.
• Support coordinated action through the FAO-WFP Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal.
• Increase the resilience of vulnerable populations facing recurrent climate risks.

The announcement comes ahead of the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, highlighting the role that philanthropy, governments, the private sector and humanitarian organizations can play in shifting from responding to crises to anticipating and preventing their worst impacts.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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