9 Sep 2011

Drought worsening on Bougainville outer islands

3:09 pm on 9 September 2011

The head of disaster management in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Province of Bougainville says a drought affecting 6,000 people is getting worse.

The island of Buka and outer islands including the Carterets, Nissan, Fead, Mortlock and Tasman islands have had little rain during the wet season, which runs from May to September.

The Bougainville Regional Disaster Director Franklin Leslie says the dry season has come early and left many people short on food and water.

"It is really it is already getting worse. The little water has been given by the small rainy season in the last two months have subsided. We are already feeling the pinch of it. There's no water in schools. Some schools are already cautioning children."

Franklin Leslie says the Bougainville Government has budgeted more than 700,000 US dollars to provide aid but says the PNG government is yet to provide the funds.