Drought in Papua New Guinea Affects Up to 8 Million People as Coalition Calls It a "National Crisis"

As many as 8 million people in Papua New Guinea are affected by an extreme drought driven by a historic El Niño, according to The Guardian. A coalition of churches, trade unions and business groups has described the situation as a "national crisis." The coalition said there appears to be "no coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities from the worsening impacts of El Niño."

El Niño is a recurring warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that disrupts rainfall and weather patterns across the region. The Papua New Guinea National Weather Service declared its onset in June. Kasis Inape, the service's assistant director, said at that time that much of the country was already in drought and that about 8 million people had been affected.

Since August, some parts of the country have received less than a quarter of their usual rainfall. The wet season normally runs from November to April. Residents and community leaders told the Guardian that rivers and creeks have dried up and that family food gardens have shrivelled.

The effects reach into daily services. In Bulolo district, in Morobe province, smaller rivers have dried up, leaving families without water for drinking, cooking and washing. Resident Theophil Zarack said many schools and health centres in the district are operating for only half a day, and some clinics no longer accept inpatients because they lack water. Schools and health facilities across the country are being forced to close early for the same reason. In rural highland areas, families have been rationing food to one meal a day.

ReliefWeb, in a update published on 1 October, reported that water shortages, crop losses and rising food prices had already been recorded in assessed provinces. It said El Niño conditions in Papua New Guinea were forecast to peak between October and December.

Forecasts suggest the current El Niño will be the strongest ever recorded. The effects are not confined to one country. The World Food Programme has warned that a powerful El Niño could push nearly an additional 49 million people into acute food insecurity worldwide, according to Reuters.