Latin America·Bolivia
Breaking
Bolivia declares a nationwide state of emergency as El Niño brings drought and floods
LA PAZ —
Depth
Dig five layers into this story — from what happened to the full picture.
L1What happened
Paz signed the nationwide emergency decree on Saturday, Oct. 31. It frees up resources and sends more rescue teams to areas hit hard by flooding and drought. Paz said El Niño will have “very severe impacts in terms of drought and floods.”
L2Who’s affected
A government report this week says drought affects 78,000 families in six of Bolivia’s nine departments and has killed more than 75,000 cattle.
L3Why it’s quiet
Analysis · OVERLOOKED Climate emergencies in landlocked South American countries rarely reach U.S. front pages, especially while the Iran war dominates coverage.
L4Deeper impact
According to the source, Prediction · scientists El Niño could cause more than 450,000 deaths worldwide, with the poorest countries hit hardest. Prediction · Al Jazeera This cycle could be the strongest on record.
L5Full context
Floods in Santa Cruz in December 2025 killed dozens of people. Nearby, Santiago, Chile had its rainiest October ever, and wildfires in Peru killed at least 12 people last month. In September, the World Meteorological Organization put the chance of El Niño lasting through February 2027 at nearly 100%. Prediction · Al Jazeera It is expected to peak at the end of 2026.
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Original reporting
This is an OVERLOOKED summary of the reporting above. Facts and figures come from the linked sources. Everything here is a fact unless it is labelled otherwise. Support this work.
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