La Paz, November 01 (QNA) — Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has declared a state of emergency to secure the resources needed to address the repercussions of the El Nino climate phenomenon, which is causing both floods and droughts in the country.

In an address to the nation, President Paz stated that the decree also authorizes the deployment of additional rescue teams to the most severely affected areas, noting that Bolivia is currently dealing with both flooding and drought due to this phenomenon.

He added that El Nino is expected to have serious consequences, including droughts and floods, and emphasized the need for cooperation among all institutions to mitigate its impact.

A government report released this week indicated that the drought is affecting 78,000 families across six of the country’s nine departments and has led to the loss of more than 75,000 head of livestock.

The El Nino phenomenon alters atmospheric circulation patterns; it tends to suppress hurricane formation in the Atlantic Ocean while intensifying activity in the Pacific Ocean.

The United Nations warned this week that the current event could reach unprecedented strength, potentially causing widespread repercussions across Latin America, East and Southern Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region.

In countries neighboring Bolivia, Peru has experienced rising temperatures and forest fires that have claimed at least 12 lives, while Santiago, the capital of Chile, recorded its wettest October on record. (QNA)