El Niño could leave 4 million people in Pacific without food or drinking water

Papua New Guinea drought has already claimed two dozen lives and looming El Nino weather pattern could be as severe as in 1997-98, when 23,000 people died

Two dozen people have already died from hunger and drinking contaminated water in drought-stricken Papua New Guinea, but the looming El Nino crisis could leave more than four million people across the Pacific without enough food or clean water.

The El Nino weather pattern - when waters in the eastern tropical Pacific ocean become warmer, driving extreme weather conditions - may be as severe as in 1997-98, when an estimated 23,000 people died, forecasters believe.