Papua New Guinea: Drought declared national crisis

An extreme drought driven by a historic El Niño has taken hold across Papua New Guinea. The weather pattern is causing widespread shortages of food, water, and electricity. A coalition of churches, trade unions, and business groups has labeled the situation a national crisis. They state there is no coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities from the worsening impacts.

Forecasts suggest this will be the strongest El Niño ever recorded. Some parts of the country have received less than a quarter of their usual rainfall since August. Kasis Inape, assistant director of the PNG National Weather Service, noted that the nation was already in drought when the service declared the onset of El Niño in June. At that time, approximately 8 million people were already affected. Inape explained that warm tropical waters had shifted east, leaving the rain-fed nation starved of precipitation.

Residents report that rivers and creeks have dried up entirely. Family food gardens, which provide vital sustenance and income, have withered. In Bulolo district of Morobe province, smaller rivers have vanished. Theophil Zarack, a resident, said schools and health centers now operate for only half a day. Some clinics have stopped accepting inpatients due to a lack of water. In Leklu village, Martha Zureno walks for miles each afternoon to fetch water for cooking and drinking. She dug a well for washing, but all crops in her garden have died. Local residents who pan for gold find that work increasingly difficult without water.

Humanitarian projects manager Emilly Meren of CARE International reports that families in rural highland areas ration food to one meal a day. Food insecurity is leading to disputes between families. Meren said women and girls are expected to do more to support their households. They are often the last to eat because they serve others first. They travel three to four hours to source water and food, facing heightened risks of harassment. Meren cited reports of transactional sex in communities, where sex is exchanged for money or food.

In the capital, Port Moresby, PNG Power has begun planned electricity blackouts. Falling dam levels have cut hydropower generation. The company said disruptions could continue for up to 10 months. It is managing dam releases to protect the city's water supply. A destructive hailstorm in Enga province earlier this month buried sweet potatoes under ice, further exacerbating food scarcity. George Iki, president of the Sambe Unity Development Association, confirmed this added to the existing scarcity.

Peter Aitsi, co-chair of the Community Coalition Against Corruption, said urban centers have been mostly shielded from the impacts so far. However, electricity blackouts and fresh food shortages from drought-stricken areas could change that. Aitsi noted the capital was covered in a smoke haze in the past week from fires fueled by El Niño. He urged the government to conduct proper assessments of the impacts, particularly on rural communities.

Prime Minister James Marape directed provincial and district authorities to prepare for a prolonged dry season. His government is examining financial arrangements to support disaster responses. Marape said cabinet is looking at tailoring provisions of financial instructions to assist districts and provinces as disasters occur.

Kasis Inape warned that the wet season, which usually runs from November to April, may be shortened. He stated that two months of rain is not enough to allow crops to grow or for water levels to stabilize. The nation depends on rainfall for subsistence farming and survival.