New Zealand sent aid planes to Tonga, which was affected by the volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami. However, because of the ash pile accumulated at the airport in the capital Nuku’alofa, the planes cannot land.
Military ships sent to provide aid and supplies to the island will also take days to arrive, according to New Zealand officials.
Saturday’s volcanic eruption is thought to have caused a humanitarian crisis in Tonga.
The tsunami after the explosion damaged the cables passing under the sea and cut the country’s international phone lines and internet.
‘**Water supply is a priority for the country**’
New Zealand and Australia are conducting reconnaissance flights to assess the extent of the damage in the country. The number of dead and injured is not yet known.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Tuesday that water supplies in Tonga have been contaminated by volcanic dust and tsunami, and that “water supply is a priority for the country at this point, according to aid organizations.”
Mahuta said that C-130 Hercules aircraft are ready to send aid such as collapsible water containers, generators and hygiene kits from New Zealand to Nuku’alofa, but that “ash piles on the landing strip must be cleared before the aircraft can land.”
Barbara Dreaver, reporter for New Zealand news channel 1News, said on Monday that about 200 people in Tonga had successfully cleared 100 meters of the landing strip, but there was still a lot of area to clear.
Mahuta; He added that two military ships will be sent to Tonga carrying water, disaster relief supplies and a rescue helicopter, but it may take up to three days to reach the island.
New Zealand’s Acting High Representative to Tonga, Peter Lund, said the local government had declared a state of emergency and the devastation was gradually unfolding.
Lund told 1News that work continues to clear the dense ash layer covering the capital city, adding:
“Buildings have been badly damaged and there are boulders and debris everywhere, but in the capital, people are trying to get back to normal life.”
Lund also said that it was stated that three people lost their lives, but this information has not been finalized yet.
It is not yet known whether the 50-year-old Englishman Angela Glover, who lost her life while trying to save her dogs, is included in this number.
The situation may not be as bad as it seems
The United Nations (UN) announced that danger signals were detected from two small Tonga islands.
However, the International Committee of the Red Cross, which said that up to 80,000 people may have been affected by the tsunami recently, commented that the damage may be less than expected, according to the information obtained from the region.
“The information we have received shows us that in more populated areas the situation may not be as bad as we thought, which is very good news,” said Katie Greenwood, the committee’s representative in Fiji.
Communication channels with Tonga, which consists of 170 islands and a total population of 100,000, are still very limited, so the extent of the damage is not known for certain. It is thought that it will take at least two weeks for phone lines and internet to work again.
Tongans living abroad fear for their safety as they cannot contact their friends and family.
Some officials also said that they were concerned about the spread of Covid as a result of foreign aid activities on the island, which detected its first case last October.