Nauru's finance minister has appealed for international help, saying Nauruans are increasingly going without food.
David Adeang says Nauru is in extremely deep trouble because its cash flow has all but dried up.
He says apart from Nauru's massive debt to American company, The General Electric Corporation, the country's primary concern is that people are going without the basics.
Mr Adeang says the government has been unable to pay salaries to public servants for at least a year, and their need for assistance is more urgent than most realise.
"We've dried up all our sources of cash flow. Basically, the effect of that is people are going hungry, they are unable to put food on the table. There is no assistance that is actually on the table to provide us with at least some cash flow to allow our workers to continue to come to work and being rewarded for the same and that allows them to put food on the table for their families. I guess that is a big ask but that's what we're asking for."
David Adeang
