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USA, Canada, Latin America, & the Caribbean

Droughts can be as devastating as the most severe storm. In 1992, El Nino ravaged the Americas with severe droughts. The lack of rain was so devastating that it actually dried up the Limas River. Intestinal diseases increased by 25% in this region after the river dried up. Reservoirs in Central America dried up contributing to the problem. The lack of water in these regions caused widespread crop damage in the region. Many crops just wilted while others, such as those in California, were destroyed by fierce firestorms that swept through destroying homes and farms. This combined with a lack of hydroelectric power made this the worst drought in centuries.

Africa & Middle East

Africa and the Middle East were ravaged by the droughts brought on by the 1992 El Nino. These normally arid regions suffered substantially from the more lack of rain than usual. Many countries were forced to rely solely on imported foods due to the crop damage. Others who could not afford to do this had severe famines. In Mozambique the famine combined with a civil war that was in progress killed 1 million people. Hundreds of Thousands also died in the Sudan due to severe hunger in civil war zones. While 7 million Ethiopians died from the famine exclusively. Many Middle Eastern countries were able to survive and skirt famine because of their wealth. Unfortunately, African countries were not so lucky. Much of the populations of several countries were diminished a great deal.

Europe: 1990 - 1992 El Niņo's effect on Drought

Europe was hit with severe droughts during the El Nino of 1992. France was by far the hardest hit by the lack of rain. Over 300 km of rivers dried up in France. Spain was also hit extremely hard when it received less than 50% of usual rainfall. Sweden and Germany suffered from similar lacks of rain. Nearly all winter crops in the region were decimated. The corn crop, a major staple for Europe and the entire world, was the most affected by the drought. However, since many European countries rely heavily on imported food normally, Europe did not meet famine. The prices of imported crops raised drastically and many European merchants were affected. Luckily, there was no reported famine or famine related deaths.

Asia

Asia was hit extremely hard by the droughts of the 1992 El Nino. Crop production was decimated. In Indonesia, large forest fires caused by the lack of rain did a great deal of damage. Also, the rice crop of this region was hurt. Rice is a major staple for all of Asia and a minor staple for the rest of the world. The entire world felt the affects of this lowering of the rice crop. In the Philippines, many crops were also damaged. About $121 million of United States crops wilted and died from the droughts. Farmland was also ravaged by the lack of rain. In Thailand, where farmable land is rare, 12.5 hectares of arable land was destroyed. 132 people died of starvation in Indonesia due to the lack of crop planting. Many more people suffered from hunger in Asia. The growing population could not deal effectively with the farming disasters.

Australia & Oceania - 1990-1992 El Niņo's effect on Drought

The countries of Australia and Oceania were damaged by the lack of rain from 1992 El Nino. In Australia, the drought killed a great deal of grass. This lack of grass and rain created brushfires all through Australia. Also, sheep farmers faced their most disastrous year ever. In Eastern Australia, wildlife and livestock were severely threatened. Other farmers also felt the effects of El Nino. Australian farmers had the worst harvest in 20 years. It was reduced by over 30%. The sugarcane crops, which are one of Australia's main exports, were decimated. This region had to import wheat just to skirt famine. Australia's economy and animals did not fare well in the droughts. Luckily, few or no people died due to this disastrous drought.