New Zealand has sent aid to Tuvalu after a warning that current water shortages there could become serious.
An RNZAF Hercules arrived on Monday afternoon to deliver two desalination units, water containers and personnel after Tuvalu declared a state of emergency.
Tuvalu has been hit by an intense dry period, with countries in the eastern and north-eastern regions of the south-west Pacific experiencing arid conditions also, Radio New Zealand International reports.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says a decision was made at the weekend to send a Hercules after a message was received that some places were down to two days of water.
Mr McCully says New Zealand is also keeping an eye on other island nations that facing water shortages, including Tokelau.
