Papua New Guinea faces severe food shortages as El Niño brings frost and drought | Papua New Guinea
Families in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands face depleted harvests and the threat of starvation after El Niño weather conditions destroyed frost and prolonged drought conditions that destroyed food gardens that provided livelihoods and income for thousands of households.
The effects of El Niño have emerged in recent weeks, bringing drought conditions, falling water levels and frost, threatening food security in some of the country’s most agriculturally productive regions.
According to Oxfam PNG, Papua New Guinea is currently the country in the Pacific most affected by the effects of El Niño. Rainfall has been below average for almost a year and, combined with frost and invasive pests in the Highlands, has devastated crops and livestock, the charity said.
Oxfam PNG estimates that up to 3 million people could be affected across the country, including a projected 1.9 million in the Highlands region. Communities that rely heavily on farming are already experiencing severe food shortages; some report that food supplies may only last two to three months.
The agency warned that households forced to reduce meals and eat less variety are at increased risk of malnutrition.
Papua New Guinea’s National Weather Service says El Niño is causing severe drought and damaging frosts by moving precipitation away from the country and reducing humidity levels. The lack of cloud cover allows heat to escape quickly at night, causing temperatures in the Highlands to drop below freezing and triggering frosts that can destroy crops.
In Tambul, Western Highlands province, farmer John Wankar woke up last week to find his food garden covered in frost, damaging vegetables and staple crops. Wankar said his family is completely dependent on the garden for food and income, and they face uncertainty about how they will survive in the coming weeks.
In Chimbu’s Kundiawa-Gembogl district, 62-year-old Martha John said she had a similar experience after a frost in her area.
“On Wednesday last week, all our yards were covered in frost,” he said.
“These gardens are not only for food, but also for our income. We grow potatoes and sell them in bulk, and all my children and grandchildren depend on this food for both food and income.”
Deteriorating conditions also affect access to clean water. Oxfam PNG said many rivers and streams had dried up, forcing communities to seek alternative water sources. It has been reported that some schools have reduced their working hours due to heat and water shortages.
While Papua New Guinea experienced the severest impacts, Oxfam PNG said countries in the Pacific were also affected. As many as 4.7 million people faced increased risk of hunger, poverty and disease due to El Niño-related droughts, erratic rainfall and frost. Drought conditions worsened in Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga, while Kiribati and Tuvalu were expected to face flooding and rising sea levels.
Billy Joseph, the country’s national disaster minister, said assessments in the region confirmed reduced rainfall, dwindling water supplies and moisture stress affecting food gardens.
Prime Minister James Marape has instructed provinces and districts across the country to prepare for the possibility of an extraordinary and prolonged dry season.
“Now is the time for preparation, not panic,” he said. “Every district and every province needs to know the sensitive areas, know the water resources, protect its people and make early preparations.”
Evidence of the growing crisis is already emerging in many Highland states.
Officials of the National Agriculture Research Institute recently assessed frost-affected areas in Tambul and reported that a potato farmer lost half of his crop due to frost. Under normal circumstances, the harvest would generate more than K10,000 ($2,200) in revenue through Tininga’s Highlands Fresh, which buys the potatoes at K3 per kilo, officials said.
Reports from Gembogl in Chimbu, Upper Mendi and Imbonggu in Southern Highlands province, and parts of Hela province indicate that frost has affected food gardens in many communities.
National Weather Service director Jimmy Gomoga said El Niño conditions are expected to affect weather and climate patterns in Papua New Guinea in the coming months.
But with some families already feeling the effects, many communities in the Highlands are increasingly worried about where their next meal will come from.
