ReliefWeb

The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu has declared a state of emergency because of a water shortage.

Tuvalu depends mostly on rain water with some islands having access to ground water. Since early 2011, all islands in the group have been suffering from lack of water due to the 'La Niña' effect, which has impacted the islands’ agriculture and daily water consumption (IFRC, 27 Sep 2011).

As the situation in Tokelau is also very serious, a joint New Zealand and United States operation is underway to provide emergency water supplies (Government of New Zealand, 5 Oct 2011 ).