Up to 3 million people in Papua New Guinea (a Pacific island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean) are at risk of food shortages after El Niño-driven drought, frost, and invasive pests destroyed crops across the country's Highlands region, which is among its most agriculturally productive areas. Oxfam PNG describes the country as the Pacific's worst-hit nation, warning that below-average rainfall for nearly a year, combined with freezing overnight temperatures, has wiped out food gardens that communities depend on for both sustenance and income, with some households reporting food supplies that may last only two to three months. Prime Minister James Marape has directed all provinces to prepare for a prolonged dry season, while Oxfam PNG cautions that reduced meal frequency and dietary variety are raising the risk of malnutrition across affected communities.