By Sohaib Shams
Extreme drought driven by a historic El Niño is affecting up to 8 million people in Papua New Guinea, causing widespread food and water shortages, electricity blackouts, and closures of schools and health clinics.
Widespread Impact on Food and Water
Rivers and creeks have dried up, and family food gardens — a vital source of sustenance and income — have withered. In rural highland areas, families are rationing to one meal a day, and women and girls face heightened risks as they travel hours to fetch water. Some communities report transactional sex emerging as a coping mechanism.
Health and Education Services Disrupted
Schools and health facilities are operating half-days or closing due to lack of water. Some clinics no longer accept inpatients. Residents report walking miles for water, and crops have died, eliminating income from farming and gold panning.
Power Cuts and Environmental Hazards
In Port Moresby, falling dam levels have cut hydropower generation, prompting planned blackouts that could last up to 10 months. Smoke haze from fires fueled by El Niño, including fires in neighboring Indonesia, has also blanketed the capital.
Weather Forecasts and Compounding Disasters
The PNG National Weather Service declared the onset of El Niño in June, but much of the country was already in drought. Forecasts suggest the wet season between November and April may be shortened. A destructive hailstorm in Enga province earlier this month buried sweet potatoes under ice, further exacerbating food scarcity.
Government and Civil Society Response
Prime Minister James Marape has directed provincial authorities to prepare for a prolonged dry season and said cabinet is examining financial arrangements to support disaster responses. A coalition of churches, unions, and business groups has called the situation a “national crisis” and warned of no coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities.
