Colombia capital Bogota to ration water as reservoirs dry
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Colombia’s capital Bogota will start rationing water this week to alleviate droughts wrought by the El Nino weather pattern, which has exacerbated the Andean country’s dry season and caused reservoir levels to fall, Mayor Carlos Galan said on Monday. The restrictions will also apply to 11 municipalities close to the capital, affecting […]
Hunger grips southern Africa as Zimbabwe declares drought a disaster
Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday declared Zimbabwe’s drought a national disaster and said the country needed more than $US2 billion in aid to feed millions facing hunger. Mnangagwa’s statement follows similar announcements by Zambia in late February and Malawi in March, as drought induced by the El Nino global weather pattern triggers […]
Postcards: The blessing of rain dampens Holy Week in drought-stricken Spain
BERNAT ARMANGUE, of Associated Press, reports from Spain on the impact much-needed rain had on Easter celebrations…
Ahead of Easter rush, officials say drought must not put off Barcelona tourists
Barcelona, Spain Reuters Tourists arriving at Barcelona’s airport or gazing at its iconic Sagrada Familia basilica will this Easter holiday be met with large signs in English that read: “Drought alert. During your stay, save water”. As the impact of climate change intensifies across southern Europe, Spain’s Mediterranean region of Catalonia, which includes Barcelona, is […]
Zimbabwe goes hungry as crops wither amid El Nino drought
Buhera, Zimbabwe Reuters Residents of the Zimbabwean village of Buhera stood in groups at a primary school waiting to be called by name to receive life-saving handouts of grain, peas and cooking oil. “We are grateful, but the food will only be enough for one month,” said Mushaikwa, 71, who lives with her elderly husband, […]
Catalans face carwash bans, swimming pool restrictions over record drought
Barcelona, Spain Reuters Residents of the eastern Spanish region of Catalonia will be banned from washing their cars and filling up empty swimming pools under measures announced on Thursday to alleviate the region’s worst drought on record. The measures, which will come into force on Friday, will affect around six million people in 200 villages, […]
Ethiopian official: at least 372 deaths due to hunger in two regions in last six months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Reuters At least 372 people have died in two northern Ethiopian regions from drought-induced hunger in the last six months, a senior government official said on Wednesday, adding to the regions’ challenges arising from conflict. Endale Haile, head of the Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman, which receives complaints from the public against […]
Amazon under threat: Impact of climate-driven drought may last until 2026
BRAD HAYNES and JAKE SPRING, of Reuters, report on the devastating impact of the drought gripping northern Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and parts of Venezuela and Colombia…
Worst floods in decades kill 29 in Somalia, hit towns across East Africa
Mogadishu, SomaliaReuters The worst flooding to hit Somalia in decades has killed 29 people and forced more than 300,000 to flee their homes, the National Disaster Management Agency said on Wednesday, following heavy rains that have inundated towns across East Africa. Authorities have scrambled to rescue thousands of stranded people from the floodwater, which comes […]
Somalia floods kill 10, displace more than 113,000 a year after drought
Mogadishu, SomaliaReuters Floods caused by heavy rains across parts of Somalia have displaced more than 113,000 people and “temporarily affected” hundreds of thousands, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday. About 10 people have died in the aftermath of the rains, and the government has declared a statement of emergency, […]