The tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu is in better shape to ride out its next drought, thanks to the generosity of Anglicans.

The tiny nation – which is in imminent danger of being submerged by any rising of the sea level – made international headlines in October when it virtually ran out of drinking water.

By that time it had endured months of drought, and the Australian and New Zealand Air Forces had to airlift in a desalination plant.

Archbishop Winston Halapua spent three days in Tuvalu during the height of the crisis.

He returned to Fiji urging the province to pray for Tuvalu, to pray that the issues of climate change and rising sea level are tackled – and to donate for emergency provision of water and food in Tuvalu.

Between them, the Anglican Mission Board, the Diocese of Polynesia and the provincial Mother’s Union raised enough to buy 176 cartons of bottled water, which diocesan staff delivered to the Tuvalu High Commission in Suva.

A barge bearing those cartons of water, and donated goods and supplies from other Pacific appeals,  left Suva at the end of November for the 1000km journey to Tuvalu.

The water was to be delivered into the care of a Tuvalu Disaster Committee, which plans to hold it in reserve for the next emergency.

Rain has returned to Tuvalu since October – but another dry spell is forecast for January and February 2012.