PORT MORESBY — Extreme drought driven by a historic El Niño is affecting as many as 8 million people in Papua New Guinea, causing food and water shortages, electricity blackouts and the early closure of schools and health clinics.
A coalition of churches, trade unions and business groups says the Pacific nation is in a “national crisis,” with “no coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities,” the Guardian reported.
Some parts of the country have received less than a quarter of their usual rainfall since August. Rivers and creeks have dried up and family food gardens have withered. In rural highland areas, families are rationing food to one meal a day, according to CARE International.
The PNG National Weather Service declared the onset of El Niño in June. Forecasters suggest the event could be the strongest on record.
Sources: The Guardian, CARE International
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