Bolivia, hit hard by El Niño, declares national emergency

Bolivia has declared a national emergency to respond to the El Niño phenomenon.

El Niño is a phenomenon in which the sea surface temperature near the equator rises abnormally, causing abnormal climates such as droughts and floods around the world. It generally occurs every 2 to 7 years. The duration is usually 9 to 12 months.

According to local daily Eldever and AFP on the 1st (local time), Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a national emergency to respond to El Niño the afternoon before.

“This phenomenon will have a very serious impact in terms of drought and flooding, and we need the cooperation of all agencies,” he said, explaining the reason for declaring a state of emergency.

According to a government report, 78,000 households were affected by the drought triggered by El Nino in six of the country's nine states. More than 75,000 livestock also died.

The United Nations recently warned that the current El Niño could bring havoc to Latin America, eastern and southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific on an "unprecedented" scale.

In fact, in Peru, which neighbors Bolivia, at least 12 people have already died due to rising temperatures and forest fires, and in Santiago, the capital of Chile, damage caused by El Niño is continuing, with rainfall in October breaking a record high.

Each South American country is responding by issuing a regional emergency, focusing on areas affected by El Niño.