El Nino Effects

“Over the last 2 and half months, 3 trader ships have called at North West and West Coast Santo to pick up copra and coffee. Unfortunately, one ship would pick up only 10 bags of copra or coffee, another ship would pick up 5 bags and the third would pickup only 4 bags of either copra or coffee.

The Red Cross has been working with governments since May when meteorologists began warning that this southern summer could see a major El Nino - a disruptive oscillation of the weather patterns brought about by a coupling of warmer than usual waters and atmospheric pressure changes in the Pacific.

Food security problems could affect Pacific island nations for the next 18 months, Red Cross international and disaster management manager Andrew Mackie told Xinhua.