The provincial administrator in Enga Province in Papua New Guinea says they are hoping a consignment of food aid sent by the national government will arrive before the weekend.
Dr Samson Amean says while about a quarter of a million people have been affected by severe frosts many others are suffering as a result of two months of drought, which is expected to continue.
Papua New Guinea Highlands affected by drought. Photo: Supplied
The Peter O'Neill Government announced on Monday that it was shipping aid in response to pleas from across all the Highlands provinces and warnings the El Nino system could mean drought into 2016.
Dr Amean says so far they have not had to close any schools but they are having difficulties.
"The boarding schools which are the high schools and secondary schools - we are arranging for water trucks to deliver more water to the schools but then the main creeks and rivers are drying up also, so how far we would go I have no idea at all."