GENEVA — Officials from the United Nations and international aid agencies convened in Geneva on Monday to discuss global threats, including heatwaves, an Ebola-related virus outbreak, and an intensifying food crisis. These discussions took place as an emerging El Nino event affects global weather patterns.

The Bundibugyo virus has 1,048 confirmed cases, with 267 fatalities reported. Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations at the World Health Organization, stated, "Before this outbreak, it only took 37 days." He noted, "It took 78 days to reach 250 deaths during the 2014 and 2016 West Africa outbreak," while adding, "In the previous outbreak in 2018-2019, it took 130 days."

Extreme weather events are expected to increase hunger and malnutrition in at least 22 countries. Maxwell Sibhensana, Deputy Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Office of Emergencies and Resilience, stated, "We are anticipating what could become a strong El Nino event, one that is expected to affect millions of people across multiple regions through droughts, floods, and storms." The FAO and World Food Programme are working to raise 202 million USD to protect 8.8 million people in vulnerable communities.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the existence of the El Nino, which involves a warming of the Pacific near the equator that influences global weather patterns. There is a 63% chance that this El Nino will be among the largest recorded since 1950. Sibhensana emphasized the nature of timely action, stating, "Timing is critical for anticipatory action, as the window is narrow and linked to agricultural cycles."

Regarding heatwaves, Mary Friel, Senior Officer of Climate Policy at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, advised that "People should take this heat wave seriously and look out for those most at risk to save lives." She also noted that "The most extreme impacts are felt by the elderly, children, pregnant women, people living with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, people experiencing homelessness, migrants, and people living in housing prone to overheating without access to cool spaces."