NZ ship delivers life-saving supplies to disaster-hit Tonga

WELLINGTON/SYDNEY • A New Zealand navy ship carrying 250,000 litres of water has arrived in Tonga, bringing life-saving supplies for the South Pacific archipelago six days after it was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that polluted its water sources.

As help from abroad started arriving, an Australian aid flight was forced to return to base because of a positive Covid-19 case on board, underlining the complexity of a contactless humanitarian mission to one of the few countries that have kept the coronavirus at bay.

New Zealand's High Commission said that the HMNZS Aotearoa arrived in the capital, Nuku'alofa, yesterday. As well as water supplies, it was carrying desalination equipment that can produce 70,000 litres a day.

"Trucks from National Emergency Management Office have begun collecting and delivering water supplies from Aotearoa," the High Commission said on its Facebook page.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption last Saturday triggered a tsunami that destroyed villages, knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people, and sent shockwaves across the Pacific.

Three people have been reported killed, the authorities said.

The salt water from the tsunami and the falling ash spoiled most sources of water on the islands and Tongans have been struggling to find clean water as they clear away the ash.

"Prior to the eruption, the majority of Tongans relied on rainwater," United Nations crisis coordinator Jonathan Veitch told Agence France-Presse from Fiji.

"If it's all basically made toxic by the ash, then they have a problem, unless they have access to groundwater sources."

Determining the location of and access to groundwater sources is now vital, he said.

The first aid flights from Australia and New Zealand landed in Tonga on Thursday with some water for sanitation and hygiene as well as shelter, communication equipment and generators.

Australia's HMAS Adelaide is en route from Brisbane and is due in Tonga next week.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a briefing that Tonga has asked for urgent assistance.

Some 60,000 Tongans have been affected by damage to crops, livestock and fisheries due to ashfall, saltwater intrusion and the potential for acid rain, Mr Dujarric said.

There are also reports of fuel shortages, he added.

Telephone links between Tonga and the outside world were reconnected late on Wednesday, although restoring full Internet services is likely to take a month or more.

Tongans have turned to social media to post images of the destruction by the tsunami and give accounts of their shock after the massive explosion.

In a post on Twitter, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk offered help from his Starlink project, which provides Internet connection through satellites.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE