Relief deliveries to an area of Papua New Guinea severely hit by the drought affecting the country have been suspended because of looting. A truck carrying supplies into the central highland province of Enga was halted by a crowd which stripped it of its cargo of rice and cooking oil. More than one million people -- a quarter of the population -- are now believed to be facing food shortages because of the drought -- the worst in fifty years. In a report to be published on Thursday an Australian aid agency says Papua New Guinea could descend into long-term famine without more help from overseas. Henry Tang reports.

The looting and vandalism of the supply truck is the second such incident to have taken place in the drought-stricken area in a month. Reports say the police escorting the truck were hopelessly outnumbered and overwhelmed.

The company operating the delivery trucks says it's now halted all food supplies into Enga province until the safety of its workers is guaranteed. The incident highlights the desparate situation now facing many of Papua New Guinea's inhabitants.

Since last year, seventy-five people have been killed by the famine caused by the drought which some officials blame on the weather phenomenon in the Pacific known as El Nino. And it seems that the problem is no longer confined to remote, rural areas.

Residents in the capital, Port Moresby, now face rationing of water and power supplies. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Bill Skate, has warned that life in the city could come to a virtual standstill if there's no significant rainfall by March.

The Australian aid agency, AusAid, has been providing relief to about sixty-thousand people but it says the situation could get even worse. It says it's been hoping for some time for a massive aid effort by other countries.