El Niño Drought Affects 8 Million in Papua New Guinea

Up to 8 million people in Papua New Guinea are currently experiencing the effects of a severe drought driven by the El Niño weather pattern. The dry conditions have triggered shortages of food and water, reduced electricity supply, and interrupted school sessions across the island nation.

A coalition of churches, trade unions, and business groups has labeled the situation a national crisis. The group stated that there is no coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities from the worsening impacts of the climate phenomenon. Residents and local leaders report that rivers and creeks have dried up, causing family food gardens to wither. Schools and health facilities are closing early because they lack the water needed for basic services.

Emilly Meren, a humanitarian projects manager at CARE International in Papua New Guinea, described conditions in rural highland areas where families are rationing food to one meal per day. She noted that food insecurity is leading to localized disputes between families. Meren said women and girls are expected to do more to support their households but are the last to eat because they must serve others first. She added that these individuals travel three to four hours to source water and food, exposing them to a heightened risk of harassment. Meren reported hearing stories of transactional sex, where sex is exchanged for money or food within the community.

The El Niño pattern is gaining strength in the tropical Pacific, with forecasts suggesting it may become the strongest ever recorded. Some parts of Papua New Guinea have received less than a quarter of their usual rainfall since August. Kasis Inape, assistant director of the PNG National Weather Service, declared the onset of El Niño in June. At that time, much of the country was already in drought and 8 million people had been affected. Inape explained that the nation is one of the wettest places in the world, but the El Niño shifted warm tropical waters east, starving the region of rain. Because the country relies on rain-fed subsistence farming, Inape said the lack of precipitation threatens survival and food production.

In Morobe province, smaller rivers in the Bulolo district have dried up, leaving families without water for drinking, cooking, and washing. Theophil Zarack, a resident, said many schools and health centers are operating for only half a day. Some clinics have stopped accepting inpatients due to water shortages. In Leklu village, Martha Zureno said all local rivers, including one behind her house, have dried up. She and her children walk for miles every afternoon to fetch water from the other side. Zureno said the family uses a self-dug well only for washing because the crops in their gardens have died. Most local residents depend on panning for gold for income, but Zureno said the work has become increasingly difficult without water.

In Enga province, a destructive hailstorm earlier this month buried sweet potatoes under ice. George Iki, president of the Sambe Unity Development Association, said the event exacerbated food scarcity, though scientists did not directly blame the storm on El Niño. In the capital, Port Moresby, PNG Power began planned electricity blackouts after falling dam levels cut hydropower generation. The company said disruptions could continue for up to 10 months while it manages dam releases to protect the city’s water supply. Peter Aitsi, co-chair of the Community Coalition Against Corruption, said the capital has been covered in a smoke haze from fires in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, which scientists say are fueled by El Niño. Prime Minister James Marape directed provincial and district authorities to prepare for a prolonged dry season. Marape said the cabinet is examining financial arrangements to support disaster responses.

Inape warned that El Niño could shorten the wet season, which typically runs from November to April. He said two months of rain is not enough to allow crops to grow or restore water levels. The government is working to tailor financial provisions to assist districts and provinces as they respond to disasters.