El Nino Sparks Fires, Drought, Starvation

El Nino has caused a severe drought in the islands of the Western Pacific Ocean, threatening more than a million people with famine and creating kindling-dry conditions in Indonesia that have sparked thousands of untamed forest fires.

At least 250 people have died on New Guinea from starvation and cholera. A thick smog, brought on by raging forest fires, covers much of neighboring Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and has raised air pollution to dangerously high levels.

A state of emergency declared for parts of Borneo Island was extended Monday because of the haze, which Indonesian officials say threatens the health of up to 20 million people in Southeast Asia.