Papua New Guinea faces national crisis as severe drought and water shortages impact millions

Current Situation

An extreme drought driven by an historic El Niño climate pattern is affecting as many as 8 million people in Papua New Guinea. The Pacific nation is currently facing food shortages, electricity blackouts, and health clinic closures as rivers and creeks dry up. Some regions have received less than a quarter of their usual rainfall since August, leaving family food gardens to shrivel.

Local Impacts

Emilly Meren of CARE International in PNG reports that families in rural highland areas are rationing food to one meal a day. Women and girls must travel three to four hours to source water and food, facing heightened risks of harassment. In Bulolo district of Morobe province, smaller rivers have dried up entirely. Local resident Martha Zureno states that her family must walk miles to fetch water after local wells and rivers failed, while gold panning income has stopped due to the lack of water. Meanwhile, a destructive hailstorm in Enga province buried sweet potatoes under ice, further worsening food scarcity.

Official Response

An influential coalition of churches, trade unions, and business groups warns the nation faces a national crisis without a coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities. PNG Power has started planned electricity blackouts in the capital Port Moresby after falling dam levels reduced hydropower generation. Peter Aitsi, co-chair of the Community Coalition Against Corruption, urges the government to conduct proper assessments of rural impacts. Prime Minister James Marape has directed provincial and district authorities to prepare for a prolonged dry season and stated the cabinet is examining financial support for disaster responses.

Context

El Niño is a natural climate pattern involving the warming of surface waters in the tropical Pacific, which can significantly alter global weather and rainfall patterns. Papua New Guinea relies heavily on seasonal rains for subsistence farming and hydroelectric power generation, making the population exceptionally vulnerable to prolonged dry periods. Government bodies and humanitarian groups often struggle to deliver aid quickly to remote highland communities during large-scale weather disasters.