3,000 communities struggle to survive as drought dries up the Andes

Cconchaccota lagoon in the Apurimac region of Peru has totally dried up. The rainy season in this part of South America should have started in September, but the area is experiencing its driest period in almost a half century, affecting more than 3,000 communities in the central and southern Andes of Peru. (AP Photo)

For climate experts, the lagoon could have dried up because it was less than a meter deep, depended exclusively on rainwater and was under strong solar radiation. The absence of rain in part of the Andes occurs as a result of the La Niña phenomenon, present in 2022 for the third consecutive year, according to the United Nations' meteorological agency. (AP Photo)

Because of the ongoing drought, the planting of potatoes, which is the only crop that grows in the village, has been delayed, leading many to expect food shortages in the coming months. Residents are reportedly already feeding themselves from their dehydrated potato reserves. (AP Photo)

Residents carry fodder for their animals at the Cconchaccota community in the Apurimac region of Peru. The fodder is the long-delayed drought response from the regional authorities to feed for the surviving sheep, cattle, alpacas and llamas. (AP Photo)

Because of the ongoing drought, dead sheep and lambs are so weak they can barely stand, and are being found nearby among sparse yellow grass. (AP Photo)

The drought is also hitting parts of Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Yuri Escajadillo, a climatologist with Peru's National Meteorology and Hydrology Service, said an index used to measure droughts qualified the region as “extremely dry.” “It is a record value,” Escajadillo said. (AP Photo)

The Andes is one of the world's most sensitive regions to climate migrations because of droughts, tropical storms and hurricanes, heavy rains and floods, according to the latest report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (AP Photo)