Climate & Environment
Panama declares emergency over El Nino drought
Panama declared an emergency on Tuesday over El Nino-linked drought and rains, as dry conditions damage harvests and have already forced a reduction in shipping through the Panama Canal.
Interior Minister Dinoska Montalvo said the emergency status would allow authorities “to be prepared for what may come with El Nino.”
Panama became the latest Central American country, after Honduras and El Salvador, to take emergency action over El Nino. The weather pattern has fueled a severe drought that is ravaging harvests and raising fears of famine.
Update
Interior Minister Dinoska Montalvo said the emergency would allow authorities to prepare for what may come with El Nino.
The El Nino-linked drought has already forced a reduction in shipping through the Panama Canal.
The drought is ravaging harvests and raising fears of famine, according to the item.
Panama followed Honduras and El Salvador in declaring emergency measures over El Nino.
Source note: AFP news report published on 26 August 2026 at 01:37:54 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The item does not give details of the legal scope, duration or specific measures included in Panama's emergency declaration.
The scale of crop losses and the size of any affected population are not stated.
Source
AFP news report published on .