Parts of the Vanuatu island recovering from a month long volcanic eruption are facing a major water shortage.
The Vanuatu government on Thursday ended the state of emergency with the 11,000 people evacuated from Ambae 3 weeks ago now back on the island.
A provincial disaster official, Manuel Ure, said people are mostly happy to be back but they remained reliant on food and water supplies from the government.
He said many open water sources around the island were contaminated by ash.
"At the moment we are depending on the government supplies for drinking water. The far south of the island they are also running out of water and we at the moment are mobilising ourselves to transport most of the water from the provincial headquarters down to people from the south."
Manuel Ure said there was a continuing light fall of ash across much of Ambae.
A level three alert remains in place and Mr Ure said as long as that stays the government aid will continue to flow in.
But he said once it is lifted the islanders will have to fend for themselves.