Tiny Pacific Island of Tuvalu calls state of emergency due to water shortage
Last updated at 2:25 PM on 3rd October 2011
Tuvalu, the fourth smallest country in the world, has called a state of emergency
The tiny Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu, located midway between Australia and Hawaii, has declared a state of emergency due to a severe shortage of fresh water.
Officials said today that some parts of the country - the fourth smallest in the world with a population of 11,000 - may only have a two-day supply.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully said his country was working with the Red Cross to deliver aid workers and supplies as quickly as possible.
He said Tuvalu first declared the emergency last week and the situation had deteriorated since then.
Water was scarce in the capital, Funafuti, and a number of outlying islands, McCully said, adding that he had received reports saying some places would run out of fresh water within days.
A New Zealand defence service C-130 plane arrived today carrying two desalination units and a number of water containers, McCully said.
Tuvalu isn't the only Pacific island running out of fresh water after six months of low rainfall.
Officials from Australia and New Zealand have said they are worried about other islands in the region, including Tokelau.
McCully said his government would work with aid agencies to try and figure out a long-term response to the situation.
Today is a national holiday in Tuvalu and government officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
-----> news are copied from Dailymail.com. reading it is scary. waayyy even scarier than the zombie apocalypse. moral of the story is, cherish your life. be grateful even if you have weak bladder or stale Oreos or fat lazy cat or undecipherable Hierogliphic handwriting (actually mine does). just live your day to the fullest. share the love you have. that is all.
