"Marshall Islands declares emergency as water runs out"

MAJURO (AFP) - The government of the Marshall Islands dispatched a ship to supply drinking water to outlying islands Wednesday after declaring a state of emergency amid a prolonged drought.

Many islands in the western Pacific island nation of 60,000 people have had little rain since January and earlier this week the former US territory declared an emergency for six islands and appealed for international help.

The government's patrol vessel left the capital Majuro Monday to provide water tanks and a reverse osmosis water purifier to provide clean drinking water for three outlying atolls.

The reverse osmosis purifiers will convert brackish well water -- the only available supply since earlier this month -- into clean drinking water.

Another ship left Majuro for three other remote outer atolls on Wednesday, carrying water and large tanks to another three atolls, said Bob Jericho, spokesman for President Kessai Note.

Secretary of Health Justina Langidrik said a further two reverse osmosis purifiers would be used in Majuro, where about 30,000 people live.

The water supply in Majuro’s reservoir has fallen to less than six million gallons of water -- less than a five-day supply at current levels of use. The water supply is now turned on just two days a week.

"If we get to five million gallons, then we’ll reduce water hours to one day a week," said Majuro Water and Sewer Company manager Terry Mellan.

Fresh water supplies have dwindled since January with the El Nino weather phenomenon causing an extended drought for a country that depends on rain for about 95 percent of its fresh water.

Reginald White, director of the Majuro Weather Station, said the Marshall Islands was going through a transition from the El Nino weather pattern to La Nina, which could mean little rain until May.

El Nino warms the ocean in the Western Pacific, causing droughts as rain clouds evaporate, while La Nina swings the temperature the other direction, bringing heavy rains.