Tonga: why is it so difficult to send aid to the archipelago?
It is a remote group of islands in the South Pacific now covered in volcanic ash and isolated from the rest of the world.
That is what makes it difficult for aid to reach Tonga, after the volcanic eruption and tsunami on Saturday.
The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano caused a tsunami across the Pacific Ocean.
Slide the button to the left to see the impact on Nuku’alofa
Drinking water
The most pressing need in the archipelago is drinking water. But the full extent of the damage has not yet been assessed..
So far, only three deaths have been confirmed. But photographs taken by the New Zealand Air Force show a village completely destroyed.
The Tonga government says some of the smaller outlying islands are particularly hard hit, with all houses destroyed in one of the islands.
The outlying islands
There is growing concern that the violent waves have caused severe destruction on smaller islands that have not yet been reached.
Why is it that hard to get help there?
Swipe the button to the left to see the impact after the Tonga volcano
Mainto ash
Eruption caused a blanket of ash to cover much of the archipelago, including the runway at Tonga’s main airport in the capital, Nuku’alofa.
The New Zealand government, which is trying to get drinking water and other supplies to the island, says planes can’t land and cleanup will need to be done the track.
Tuesday (44 January), about two hundred volunteers were trying to clean the ash from the runway.
“A plane C-130 Hercules is ready to deliver humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies, including collapsible water containers, generators and hygiene kits for families once the airport runway is cleared,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement.
Offer of help from China
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Beijing is ready to send Tonga “ a batch of emergency supplies that include drinking water, food, personal protective equipment and disaster relief equipment”.
They will be sent “as soon as the airport resumes operations and conditions flight permits,” Zhao said.
Australian aircraft
Meanwhile, Australia indicated that it will send planes to assess the extent of damage to critical infrastructure, such as roads, ports and power lines, to help plan the next phase of the emergency response.
According to Mahuta, New Zealand had carried out surveillance and reconnaissance flights over the area.
Images and details were sent to the Tongan authorities to help make planning decisions.
Communications collapsed
Another factor that is complicating efforts is the damage to the communications infrastructure.
The only submarine cable that connects the archipelago with the outside world was cut.
The repair depends on the dispatch of specialized boats to the area, which could take two weeks.
Satellite communication is irregular. On Tuesday (18) , in the first statements since the eruption, the Tongan government described the destruction of homes on two islands.
Tongan citizens in the foreigner still have no news of their relatives. Joanne Mataele, who lives in Australia, told the BBC that she had no choice but to “wait and wait”.
“I know of some people who have been in contact with their relatives in Tonga through satellite phones. I think only a couple of people have access to these phones. So we are sitting and waiting, which is all we can do right now,” he said.
Diving equipment
Given the difficulty in communications, Mahuta said that New Zealand had decided to send two boats with diving equipment, a helicopter, water, desalination equipment and relief supplies to help in the emergency.
The trip will last three days and the boats will remain on standby should the Tonga government request assistance.
The challenge by the covid
Although the extent of the damage seems increasingly worrying, there is a reason Tonga may be reluctant to ask for outside help: so far it has only recorded one case of covid and the nation wants to remain free of the pandemic.
The BBC correspondent in the Philippines, How ard Johnson, points out that all efforts are being made to provide support in a way that reduces the islanders’ potential exposure to covid.
New Zealand says it is delivering its aid “without contact” and in accordance with the “strict border controls” of the island.
Swipe the button to the left to see the impact on the main island of Tonga
“Do no harm”
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, states that “one of the first rules of humanitarian action is ‘do not damage’”.
“So we want to be absolutely sure that all the necessary protocols will be followed to enter the country”.
Water: “immediate need”
Right now, fresh water is one of the main priorities in the is forces to help the islands. But it is far from being the only one.
The UN says that most of the country has been affected by a layer of volcanic ash of 1-2 cm, which is affecting the supply of water and food.
Contamination by volcanic ash
Residents have been told to wear masks outside due to poor air quality.
“What we are really concerned about is access to clean water,” said Katie Greenwood , who heads the Pacific delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
But he added that “ We still have some fears for some people on the islands that we haven’t been able to hear anything about yet.”
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