A Banaban islander living in Kiribati's main town, Tarawa, says she has been told Banaba has not had rain in six months.
There have been reports that the remote island was facing a water crisis, with empty tanks and two desalination machines out of action.
Pelenise Alofa said Banaba had no natural water source and islanders usually relied on rain water, but there hadn't been any in six months.
She said food crops like pumpkin and tapioca were dying.
"There hasn't been any rain.
"The government has provided desalination plants as alternative water supply. but unfortunately the two plants they have are broken and they have no spare parts. Maybe the shipping is late because of the Covid/ So they are stuck with no other source of water right now."
An island elder earlier called for help from New Zealand and Australia saying those countries benefitted from the phosphate mined on Banaba during the last century.
Photo supplied