Disaster authorities in Solomon Islands say fresh water supplies will reach communities affected by volcanic ashfall within the next few days.
Tinakula volcano Photo: Supplied/ Lata Met Office Mr Luke Lapoe
Ash from the erupting Tinakula volcano in the country's easternmost Temotu Province has contaminated water supplies on some nearby islands.
There are reports from the most affected Reef Islands that people only have a few days worth of fresh water and coconuts to survive on as heavy rain over the past few days has washed toxic ash into waterways and storage tanks.
But the director of the National Disaster Management Office Loti Yates said fresh water is on its way but it would be a little while coming as the area was still a no-fly-zone.
"Well the boat will take approximately 20 hours steaming that way covering the whole of Temotu under the franchise shipping arrangement. So we are hoping that what coconuts and what clean water they have, they will be using those until the boat arrives."
Mr Yates said the no-fly zone meant there had not been an aerial assessment of the eruption.
He said there were no seismographs on Tinakula which made it very difficult to monitor its volcanic activity.
