REGION (Pacific Media Watch): “Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink.”
The words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge are echoing in the ears of Pacific Islanders currently as they deal with the drought.
Worst hit is the New Zealand-administered territory of Tokelau as well as Tuvalu.
The Fiji Times reported earlier in the week that Tuvalu only had two days' water left and today Australia and New Zealand started to airlift water into Funafuti.
Fiji Live said the small nation was turning to Fiji for assistance, while Radio New Zealand reported that a desalination plant for Tokelau is due in New Zealand this weekend.
Both countries have declared a state of emergency and it is not just the small nations that are struggling.
Parts of Samoa are starting to ration water, however Taili’ili Ekiumeni Fauolo of the Samoa Water Authority told the Samoa Observer there was enough water in the country to last the next six months.
However, that might not be enough as the Tuvalu Red Cross have said there had been no proper rainfall in Tuvalu for six months and rain was not expected for another two months.
Alex Perrottet
