After days of silence, the government of the island nation of Tonga said Tuesday night that the volcanic eruption and the ash clouds that followed were an "unprecedented disaster."
International efforts to deliver aid have been complicated not just by the ash and by damaged communication lines, but also by concerns that an island nation that has managed to ward off the coronaviruses may be able to allow in aid workers who might be carrying it.
Jonathan Veitch said at a news conference on Tuesday that relief efforts would be conducted to get badly needed supplies into Tonga without direct contact.
He said that they wouldn't be doing anything to threaten the safety of the population.
It will take some time to move supplies.
Both Australia and New Zealand have supply planes loaded and ready to go, but the debris produced by the blast Saturday has rendered the airport runways unusable.
Mr. Veitch said that the ash was more difficult to clear than expected. We thought it would be operational yesterday.
The equipment that uses water to clear the runways more quickly is on its way to Tonga, but it is still six to eight days away.
Food and water are desperately needed in parts of the archipelago.
Mr. Veitch said that shops were running out of food.
After the volcanic eruption, NukualoFA is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Credit goes to the Kingdom of Tonga.
After the volcanic eruption, NukualoFA is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Credit goes to the Kingdom of Tonga.
After the volcanic eruption, NukualoFA is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Credit goes to the Kingdom of Tonga.
After the volcanic eruption, NukualoFA is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Credit goes to the Kingdom of Tonga.
After the volcanic eruption, NukualoFA is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Credit goes to the Kingdom of Tonga.
The nation of 100,000 was silent for three days after the eruption of the volcano. The west coast of several islands were hit by waves of up to 15 meters after the eruption. The internet and communications were limited on the islands because of the eruption.
The first official update came Tuesday night, when the government there said it had begun assessing the eruption's toll and confirmed that three people had died, including a British national.
Almost all of the houses on some hard-hit islands, including Mango, Fonoifua and Nomuka, were damaged or destroyed. The government said that it was giving relief items. Supplies of clean water have been seriously affected by volcanic ash.
The big question was how to do it safely.
Jonathan Pryke is the director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute, an independent think tank. If Covid is brought into Tonga, the good will built up by the response would be completely undone.
It is a image.
In December, a satellite image of the main port facilities in Nuku'aloFA, the Tongan capital.
It is a image.
A satellite image of the same port facilities on Monday.
Past trauma is an echo of the fears of the Tongans. Throughout Polynesia, a region of around 1,000 islands spread across the Southern Pacific, disease delivered by outsiders is a theme that has existed for hundreds of years.
The impact of regular contact with Europe's colonizing forces was not as great as it could have been. The South Pacific was devastated by epidemics of flu, and other diseases, over the following century or so.
In the early 19th century, the spread of measles killed up to a quarter of the population across all ages, according to a historical study published in 2016 in Hawaii.
The Spanish flu caused another round of death in Tonga. The Talune, a steamship, is believed to have introduced the virus in 1918 because its captain hid the risk after leaving New Zealand.
It is a image.
A New Zealand Defense Force crew is flying. Australia and New Zealand are delivering assistance. The New Zealand Defense Force has a woman in it.
He ordered everyone on the ship to get dressed and pretend they weren't sick so the steamer could be unloaded. About 8 percent of the population died in the outbreak.
Covid has been viewed through the lens of that experience. Travelers arriving in the country are required to stay for 21 days after one case was reported in October. About 60 percent of the country's population has received two Covid vaccine doses.
The deputy head of mission for the High Commission of Tonga in Australia said that they had been talking to the Australian and New Zealand governments about how to deliver aid in a Covid-safe way.
It is a image.
A satellite image of the volcano before it erupted.
It is a image.
A satellite image of the volcano.
New Zealand's prime minister said that they will be working with officials on the ground in Tonga to make sure that they meet any expectations.
The minister of defense said there were other ways to avoid transmission. He said that they have done a number of operations in the Pacific over the past two years.
Mr. Veitch said that some two dozen U.N. aid workers were already in Tonga when the volcano erupted.
Aid groups in Australia and in the region say they prefer governments to provide assistance.
The Pacific office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies won't be sending anyone unless requested to do so.
It is a image.
A satellite image shows volcanic ash on the runway of the Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga.
She said the Red Cross had 70 volunteers in the country, with access to enough relief supplies for about 1,200 households.
It was difficult to tell if that would be enough.
It will take weeks before phone or internet connections to the outside world are restored, according to the Tongan diplomat in Australia.
He told ABC Radio in Australia that they still have limited access to Tonga. We don't have a direct communication with our government.
The reporting was contributed to byNatasha Frost andYan Zhuang.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
