Tonga Update & where you can donate to help relief efforts
Cover image of families on Mango Island in the Ha'apai group waiting for help after the tsunami hit and destroyed every home.
Photo credit: Piokalafi Faka’osi
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As communication with Tonga is slowly restored, the devastation to the small island nation is becoming more apparent.
So far the oficial fatality number remains at three and Digicel has been able to restore limited international voice and text connectivity via a satellite connection. US cable company SubCom has advised that the best case scenario is four weeks for the cable to be repaired, with the repair ship expected to arrive in Tonga 1 February.
The tsunami is estimated to have impacted around 1800+ household's food supply across Tonga - most affected areas have had plantations and crops completely destroyed and basic food items are needed. Flour, tinned fish, milk powder etc ... Due to the seawater seeping into the soil it's expected to take about 3 months before anything can be grown on affected areas.
The governement have also advised against fishing or consuming any fish.
Many have had their homes completely destroyed by the tsunami waves which ripped through the islands after the volcano erupted.
The photos below by Piokalafi Faka’osi on facebook show families who live on Mango Island waiting for help from the mainland after the peau kula (tsunami waves) washed right over the island killing one person and destroying every house.
Frederica Tuita reported "When the sun rose the next day they couldn't tell who was who because they were covered in volcanic ash. All shelter destroyed, they sat under trees sipping the little drinking water they had and waited around 3/5 days for help."
They were rescued and evacuated to Nomuka Island and yesterday arrived in Nuku'alofa for safety and shelter.
More photos and updates on the Kingdom Digital Page here
The Western side of the main island of Tongatapu was especially badly hit. Ha’atafu Beach Resort along with all the resorts/homes along the western coastlines have been severely damaged and/or completely wiped out. Vakaloa Resort and the village of Kanokupolu plus small parts of Ahau were also seriously damaged by the tsunami.
Both the owners of Ha'atafu Beach Resort and Vakaloa Resort have said the first tsunami waves struck BEFORE the eruption and so they had no time to gather any belongings before running for safety inland.
Photos that have come out of Ha'apai are also showing bad damage in many villages including Nomuka (photos below).
Joshua Savieti from Tutu on the Beach posted on social media this morning to let family and friends know he's fine and also said "Scariest experience ever. If you can give to those whose homes were destroyed then please do".
Pou Panuve shared on Twitter earlier to let people know that Moneygram & Western Union in Tonga are operational again for those wanting to send remittances back to their families there.
For on the ground updates, you can also follow Malau Media on their facebook page here
For those who don't have families or friends in Tonga but would still like to donate to the Kingdom, New Zealand aid charities are also responding and running appeals to support the work of their Tongan partners and colleagues on the ground.
“We are seeing a huge amount of generosity in New Zealand to support the Tongan community during this crisis. One of the best ways the public can help is by donating funds to reputable and experienced humanitarian response organisations who have existing partnerships with Tongan community groups,” says Aaron Davy, Humanitarian Manager at Council for International Development (CID).
The following New Zealand aid charities are working through local Tongan organisations. An updated list of appeals and response information is available on the Council for International Development website.
- Caritas Aotearoa – working with Caritas Tonga
- TearFund – working with Tonga National Council of Churches
- Oxfam – working with Tonga National Youth Council, Tonga National Council of Churches (TNCC), Ma'a Fafine mo e Famili Inc. (MFF), and Tonga Leitis Association (TLA)
- ChildFund – supporting Red Cross
- Rotary – working with MORDI (Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation Tonga Trust), and Mango Tree Centre
- Habitat for Humanity – working with Caritas Tonga
- ADRA – working with Seventh-Day Adventist Church Tonga
- Christian World Service – working with Tonga Community Development Trust, and Ama Takiloa network of women's groups
- Anglican Missions – working with Anglican Church of Tonga
- Christian Blind Mission (cbm) – working with Naunau o’e Alamaite Tonga Association (NATA), Tonga National Visual Impairment Association (TNVIA), and Lavame’ata’e’iloa Association (LATA)
- Volunteer Service Abroad – working with Vaiola Hospital, Mai E Nima (‘Give Me Five’), and ‘Uluaki Faiako Cooperation Society
- Save the Children – working with Tonga Council of Directors of Education System (TCDES)
- World Vision
“Kiwi support of these appeals is immediately transferred to direct support and resources for our local partners on the ground. They are the people who best know what the needs are, and how to respond. We know that no other type of donation can match the assistance provided from giving cash”.
Remittances also play a critical role following an emergency in the Pacific.
“We urge banks and money-transference businesses to support humanitarian responses, by temporarily wavering transaction costs or keeping them at less than 3% during an emergency response and removing bureaucratic barriers for already stressed families trying to send cash to family overseas.”
Watch for this CID Code ‘Tick’ to signify to donors and the public that these CID-member aid agencies have met the accountability standards expected by the public.
For more information on how to donate responsibly check out the video below -
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