Villages in the Gabadi area of Kairuku District in the Central Province are experiencing food and water shortage due to the dry weather.
Most of their water wells are drying up and food gardens are not producing enough as food crops are dying out.
Lui Sileh from Pinu village said even the swamp located in the outskirts of the village does not have any more fish with the water level dropping.
“There was always enough fish from the swamp to last us for two days but now we catch enough for only one meal."
“Most of the villagers are now resorting to the big creek to find fish but it is also drying up."
“The fish are swimming further down to the mouth of the river which is only accessible by canoe or dinghy,” he said.
The villages rely heavily on fish from the swamp, crabs and wallaby but with the ongoing dry weather, they’re unable to hunt anymore.
They now rely mostly on rice and other store goods and rationing the small amount of bananas and cassava they have left in their gardens.
