Fresh Drinking Water Delivered to Tonga from New Zealand Navy
Supplies Needed in Tonga After Volcano Eruption Begin to Deliver
Tonga is continuing to deal with the clean up from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano eruption that caused a tsunami damaging villages and homes in the nation on January 16.
Water supplies have been tainted by ash build up and salt water that rushed in from the tsunami however, supplies are now beginning to be delivered to the very remote island to help the community recover.
A local bottle shop owner stated, “Everything is so dusty, and we are running out of water,” he continued. “We only have the tap water, and it’s been contaminated. We… can hardly breathe for all the dust.”
On January 21 a New Zealand navy ship, the HMNZS Aotearoa arrived with an estimated 250,000 liters of water in the capital of Nuku’alofa. She also brought desalination equipment with the capabilities to produce an additional 70,000 liters per day.
Flights have begun to deliver communication equipment, generators and other items from Australia and New Zealand while Japan is also gearing up for aid delivery.
