{
  "id": 17159068,
  "title": "El Niño-driven drought in Papua New Guinea a ‘national crisis’ as rivers dry up and local farms fail",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/el-nino-driven-drought-in-papua-new-guinea-a-national-crisis-as",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T01:45:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian",
    "slug": "the-guardian",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/30/png-el-nino-drought-papua-new-guinea"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An estimated 8 million individuals in Papua New Guinea have been impacted by a severe drought caused by an intense El Niño weather pattern, leading to widespread food shortages, power outages, and the closure of healthcare facilities. The nation's influential coalition comprising churches, trade unions, and businesses has declared the country to be in the throes of a \"national crisis,\" yet there is currently no organized strategy in place to shield vulnerable communities from the worsening effects of the El Niño disaster. Locals report that rivers and streams have dried up, and family vegetable gardens, a crucial source of sustenance and revenue, have withered away. Schools and medical centers are being compelled to cut their schedules short due to insufficient water supplies to sustain essential services. Emilly Meren, a humanitarian projects manager at CARE International in Papua New Guinea, disclosed that families in rural highland regions are consuming a single meal per day, while food scarcity has sparked neighborhood conflicts between households. Women and girls are tasked with enduring the longest journeys to secure water and sustenance, exposing them to an elevated risk of harm. They often have to travel three to four hours to acquire water and food, putting them in harm's way. The El Niño climate phenomenon is intensifying in the Pacific Ocean, with projections indicating that it could be the most potent ever recorded. Some regions of Papua New Guinea have experienced rainfall levels falling below a quarter of their normal amounts since August. The PNG National Weather Service designated the start of El Niño in June, but Kasis Inape, the assistant director of the service, stated that numerous areas of the country were already grappling with drought by that point, and approximately 8 million people had already been affected. The country, known for its abundant rainfall fed by warm tropical waters, is now suffering as those waters are being redirected eastward, leaving PNG parched. Although PNG typically enjoys a rainy season from November to April, the El Niño is anticipated to potentially compress the rainy season. In Morobe province's Bulolo district, smaller rivers have vanished, leaving families without access to water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Theophil Zarack, a resident in the district, recounted that numerous schools and medical centers are now operating for only half the day, with some clinics refusing inpatient admissions due to a scarcity of water. Martha Zureno, a resident of Leklu village, expressed that all the local rivers, including the one adjacent to her home, have dried up. She and her children must now trek miles every afternoon to collect water for cooking and drinking from a neighboring location. The village's crops have withered and perished, and the villagers are unable to cultivate anything new. Many locals derive their livelihoods from panning for gold, but without water, even this source of income is becoming increasingly difficult. A destructive hailstorm struck parts of Enga province earlier this month, pummeling sweet potatoes with ice, further compounding the food scarcity problem. In Port Moresby, the capital city, PNG Power has instituted scheduled power outages due to declining dam levels, which have diminished hydropower generation. These outages may persist for up to ten months while authorities endeavor to regulate dam releases to safeguard the city's water supply. Peter Aitsi, a respected PNG business figure and co-chair of the Community Coalition Against Corruption, called for the government to conduct thorough assessments of the unfolding impacts, particularly on rural communities. In a previous statement, the coalition had labeled the drought situation a \"national crisis,\" but Aitsi noted that urban centers have thus far avoided the brunt of the effects. However, the city might soon be impacted by electricity outages and a shortage of fresh produce from drought-stricken areas. The smoke haze from fires ignited by El Niño, both in Indonesia to the west and local areas, has recently enveloped Port Moresby, according to scientists. Prime Minister James Marape has instructed provincial and district authorities to prepare for an extended dry season, stating that his administration is examining financial measures to aid disaster response efforts. \"Cabinet is considering customizing provisions of our financial instructions to ensure that districts and provinces receive assistance as needed during disaster situations,\" Marape stated.",
  "summary": "As many as 8 million people have been affected by food shortages, electricity blackouts and health clinic closures Extreme drought driven by an historic El Niño is affecting as many as 8 million people in Papua New Guinea, causing a cascade of issues from shortages of food and water, to electricity scarcity and schooling disruption. An influential coalition that includes churches, trade unions…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}