Republic of the Marshall Islands - Relief supplies are on the way to the drought-stricken remote northern atolls of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, as the international  aid operation swings into gear.

Over 5,700 people living in the northern atolls and islands have been hit by unusually low levels of rain since February, putting crops at risk and causing an alarming shortage of drinking water.

A donation of USD 100,000 from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has allowed IOM to send assistance on government ships to some of the remotest locations on earth, halfway between Indonesia and Hawaii.

On May 8 the MS Jebro left the capital Majuro on the one-day journey to Mejit with 125 cases of water donated by the government, as well as 100 USAID/IOM jerry cans. She carries one five-gallon jerry can for each of the 64 households and 36 five-gallon jerry cans for the local health clinic. 

Another vessel, the Aemann, left  for Wotho, Lae, and Ujae today.  The initial aid shipments will assist almost 600 families in the worst-affected areas, where drinking water is rationed to one gallon per family per day. A total of 2,000 jerry cans and 1,000 hygiene kits will be delivered, together with thousands of litres of drinking water.

USAID is in the process of deploying 13 solar-powered mobile Reverse Osmosis machines capable of producing 360 gallons of water per day, procured through IOM.

“The water produced by these machines will be used for emergency relief on the worst affected atolls and will be integrated into longer-term efforts, as abnormally severe climate change-induced droughts are expected to increase,” says IOM Chief of Mission for the Marshall Islands and Micronesia Ashley Carl.

“Logistically speaking this is a difficult environment to work in and to mount an emergency operation. But everyone is pulling together – government, donors, aid agencies and the local community – to help avert a bigger disaster and ensure a sustainable response,” he says.

For more information, please contact

Ashley Carl
IOM Pohnpei
Email: acarl@iom.int
Tel. +691 922 2015