UN General Assembly
1998

wave in northern Papua New Guinea and extreme drought conditions in many countries, including mine, demonstrate the vulnerability of small island States to natural disasters. We also sympathize with China and Bangladesh, which have suffered from extensive and prolonged flooding. In Fiji, the Government right now is providing special food and water relief assistance to more than 54,000 households, or more than a quarter of Fiji?s total population. Because of the drought, we are expecting this year a 50 per cent reduction in our production of sugar, which is our main export, and there is no guarantee for an improvement for next year. Also, because of the drought, we do not have seeds of sufficient quality to allow for a quick recovery in the foreseeable future. Such is our vulnerability, and no part of the aforementioned index has any real relevance to our calamity. Things may have changed, with new names and new systems, but, alas, it is the same old story. I appeal to the United Nations development support system to consider special schemes of assistance covering