PNG's Central Province and capital struggle under El Nino drought

Papua New Guinea's Central Province and the adjacent National Capital District are grappling with the severe impacts of a prolonged drought, intensified by the El Nino weather pattern. Communities are reporting widespread crop damage and critically low water supplies, exacerbating the challenges of daily life.

In the capital, Port Moresby, residents have been subjected to frequent water outages. These disruptions are attributed to issues with the city's water infrastructure, further straining resources. Adding to the agricultural woes, at least one severe frost event has worsened the damage to already struggling crops.

The escalating weather crisis has prompted the Central Province government to initiate an assessment of the food and water security situation. Months prior, the National Disaster Centre had issued warnings about the potential impact of El Nino across various regions of the country, including the Highlands and Western provinces, which have already been suffering.

Much of PNG's central region is now described as tinder-dry, with fires frequently observed in the arid hills surrounding the capital. Many water sources within Central Province have completely dried up, leading to the closure of schools. Governor Ruffina Peter announced that the provincial executive has allocated K5.3 million to aid drought-affected communities. However, she indicated that an estimated K40 million would be required for a comprehensive response to the crisis.