State of Emergency Declared in Colombia Due to El Niño Phenomenon

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has signed a decree to implement a state of emergency for one year due to the El Niño climate phenomenon. This was announced by the presidential press service, as reported by TASS.

"In order to adequately respond to the consequences of the El Niño phenomenon, President Gustavo Petro has signed a decree declaring a national disaster across the country," the statement published on X reads.

According to the presidential office, the decree will be in effect for 12 months. This measure allows for the allocation of additional budgetary resources to address the aftermath of the disaster. Last week, Petro mentioned that Colombia intends to seek assistance from the United Nations regarding the mitigation of forest fires.

According to the disaster management agency, as of January 26, over 17,000 hectares of forest land have been affected by fires in recent months. The region has been experiencing anomalous heat for several months now. Scientists indicate that the unusual active El Niño climate phenomenon has influenced the drought this season.