Four days after a violent tsunami triggered by an undersea volcanic eruption, rescue teams in Tonga are now working to clear ash from the runways of the country's main airports so that vital supplies can be delivered smoothly to the region.
As of Tuesday, Tonga's Fuamottu International Airport was still covered in volcanic ash, hampering humanitarian relief efforts. The airport was fortunate not to have been damaged by eruptions and tsunamis, but ash from the airport's runway still needs to be cleaned up in time. About 200 people are currently using trolleys and shovels to clean the site, and the Pacific island nation is in dire need of food and drinking water.
A U.N. representative in Tonga said on Wednesday morning that while it was much more difficult than expected to clear volcanic ash from the main island of Tongatapu, good progress had been made and there was hope that flights would resume soon.
Jonathan Veitch, the U.N. Pacific Coordinator based in Fiji, said: "We thought the airport would be operational (on Tuesday), but it hasn't been completely cleaned up yet because more ash is still falling from time to time. ”
The Tonga government released its first official statement since the disaster on Tuesday. The statement noted that the eruption of the hon Aha Apay Island volcano and the consequent widespread tsunami caused "unprecedented disaster" to Tonga. Tonga officials have confirmed that a 65-year-old local woman, a 49-year-old local man and a 50-year-old British woman, Angela Glover, were tragically killed in the tsunami, in addition to injuries.
Many ships carrying supplies and rescue equipment have departed from ports in Australia and New Zealand, but it will take at least a few days to reach the coast of Tonga.
New Zealand Defence Minister Peeni Henare said the country had recently sent two naval vessels that would arrive in Tonga in the coming days. "It will take about three to four days to sail to Tonga, and the Navy ships will carry a lot of water, food and medical supplies," he noted. ”
Multiple aerial photographs recently disclosed by the New Zealand Defence Force show that the situation on some of Tonga's main islands is not optimistic in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions and tsunamis: many buildings on Mango Island in Tonga have been destroyed, and only a few tarpaulin shelters can now be seen. The photos were taken by the New Zealand Air Force's P-3 Orion patrol aircraft.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said images taken by the patrol aircraft had been sent to the Tongan government to help them assess the damage. What Mahuta is currently aware of is that the Tonga government is organizing the evacuation of people from Mango Island and other hard-hit islands.
"The situation is very worrying in some areas, which is why we want to make sure that we can assist the Tongan government in taking the necessary action. You can understand that there is a lot of pressure on people at this time and the Tongan government is working hard locally to ensure that they can respond in a timely manner to the most affected communities and villages," Mahuta noted.
Disaster relief and epidemic prevention may face a dilemma
It is worth mentioning that for the Tonga government, there is a special test at present: how to make a more reasonable choice between disaster relief and epidemic prevention.
Before last Saturday's eruption, Tonga was one of the few countries in the world that had not been ravaged by COVID-19. Officials in Tonga have said they are concerned that relief efforts could spread the coronavirus, and the country only saw its first case in October last year. Currently, the island nation has a high 90% vaccine coverage for adults and adolescents over the age of 12.
The U.N. side currently says it will try to maintain Tonga's current COVID-19-free status when aid begins to arrive, and it is unclear whether personnel will be sent to the island for assistance, but supplies such as water and food can be delivered at ports on the main islands.
U.N. Coordinator Jonathan Veitch said the U.N. will conduct most of its operations remotely for the time being and may not send people to the island. "We thought we would be able to send planes to deliver supplies, but we weren't sure if we could send planes to transport people because Tonga has a very strict zero-coronavirus policy," Veitch said.
Veitch also noted that "Tonga, like many Pacific island nations, is very cautious about opening its borders because historical outbreaks of disease in the Pacific have devastated the societies here." ”
In addition, for the communication problems that the outside world is currently more concerned about, the Tongan government has said that it is stepping up the repair of communication lines. Tonga's submarine communications fiber-optic cables connected to the outside world were previously damaged in a volcanic eruption, and repair work could take up to nearly two weeks.
Two major communications operators in Tonga are currently studying satellite options to restore some services, including the Internet, and will prioritize the repair of communications between the government and health emergency departments.