phrase requests - English equivalent to "a small fruit in an elephant's mouth"


In the Indian language of Malayalam, there's a saying "Aana vayil ambazhanga", which literally translates to:



A small fruit in an elephant's mouth.



It means:



Having too small an amount for a very large need.



What's an equivalent idiom in English?


"Bring a knife to a gunfight", can mean entering a conflict without preparation. "Too little, too late" can mean something is not in time to be effective. These don't fit here, because I want it to only mean "too small an amount for a very large need" and nothing more.



Answer



Try drop in the ocean, defined by Cambridge dictionary as



A very small amount compared to the amount needed.



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