El-Nino in the Pacific

El Nino leaving its mark in the Pacific

There are fears that the lack of water could result in major food shortages around the Pacific - including in Vanuatu. [tags} Papua New Guinea

Dozens of deaths from drought in PNG's Chimbu

There are unconfirmed reports from Chimbu Province in Papua New Guinea that 24 people have died as a result of the severe drought hitting the Highlands

Radio NZ,

2 September, 2015

The Chimbu provincial disaster co-ordinator, Michael Ire Appa, says he understands the deaths, which are yet to be confirmed, are due to a lack of food and poisoned water.

He says the figures could go higher.

"It's a bit hard to confirm but I think it's positive because the drought has been here for almost three months now and in areas that were affected by the drought, there's a serious food shortage, including water, and some of the districts have not report, so there my be more than that."

Michael Ire Appa says up to 80,000 people are in immediate need in his province with thousands also threatened by the drought.

He says about five tons of rice and other food aid is sitting in Kundiawa because the province lacks the logistical support to move it to the remote areas where the problems are most severe.

Meanwhile, National Disaster teams are assessing which areas are the worst-affected by the drought.

The National Disaster Office says Australia may be asked to provide military air support and if the need arises to deploy supplies to these areas.

United Nations agencies are also preparing to respond to the impact of the extreme weather which disaster officials say is affecting one quarter of PNG's population.

Related

• PNG close to declaring highest alert level over drought
• UN readying to help PNG drought victims if needed
• Effects of El Nino drought felt across Melanesia
• PNG drought shaping up to be worse than '97

Rural villagers facing food shortages as El Nino brings drought, frosts to Papua New Guinea

While many Australian farmers are nervously waiting to see how a forecast El Nino may impact farm production, to the north, Papua New Guinea is already feeling its full force.

ABC,

1 September, 2015

Rural residents of Papua New Guinea (PNG) are facing food shortages as drought and frost, caused by El Nino, take a toll on the country's crops.

Severe frosts have killed crops of potatoes, some rivers and streams are drying up, jeopardising sago production and putting mining projects on hold, while bushfires have destroyed palm oil plantations.

Dr Mike Bourke, an Australian agricultural scientist, has just returned from assessing the situation in PNG.

He said there were reports of food prices going up in markets and scarcity of produce in some regions.

"The frost happens very quickly. Bang, it goes. A series of killing frosts and your crops are dead," Dr Bourke said.

"With the drought it develops slowly, your crops stop growing, the ground cracks, the weevils get into the ground and damage the sweet potato so that takes longer to develop.

"At this stage, we are getting reports of prices shooting up dramatically in a whole lot of markets in the highlands, which is suggesting sweet potato is already very scarce."

Fears of worst drought in recorded history

Dr Bourke said drought and frosts in 1997, also driven by an El Nino, caused hundreds of deaths and affected nearly a million people in rural PNG.

He feared this year's event could be even worse, with frosts arriving earlier and the drought escalating more rapidly.

"All indications are very clearly at this stage that this is worse than the '97 drought," Dr Bourke said.

"To put that in context, '97 was the worst, at least as a meteorological event of any drought in recorded history in Papua New Guinea, so that's going back to the 1880s basically.

"Indications are that this is looking even worse, but it is early days."