The United Nations calls for anticipation of the consequences of the El Nino phenomenon

On Tuesday, the United Nations called on governments to anticipate the consequences of the "El Niño" climate phenomenon that has just begun, linked to the rise in global temperatures, in order to "save lives and livelihoods."

The UN's World Meteorological Organization indicated that El Niño will continue throughout the year with intensity likely to be "at least moderate," declaring the "beginning of the episode" with a 90 percent chance of continuing into the second half of the year.

The effect of rising temperatures usually becomes apparent a year after the phenomenon develops, and therefore is likely to be more tangible in 2024.

"The arrival of El Niño will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and causing much hotter temperatures in many parts of the world and in the oceans," said Petteri Taalas, director of the United Nations Meteorological and Climate Agency, in a statement.

"The World Meteorological Organization's announcement of El Niño is a signal to governments around the world to prepare to reduce its impacts on our health, ecosystem and economies," he added.

In this regard, he stressed the importance of early warning systems and the necessary measures to anticipate extreme weather events associated with this major weather phenomenon to "save lives and livelihoods".

The organization is particularly concerned about the increase in water-related diseases, such as cholera, in addition to mosquito-borne epidemics, such as malaria and dengue fever, in addition to infectious diseases such as measles and meningitis, according to the director in charge of public health and the environment at the organization, Maria Neira, told reporters.