Tonga receives ‘contactless’ Australian aid delivery amid looming food shortage

Australia’s shipment of aid to Tonga has been delivered without personnel leaving the navy ship, as the Pacific island nation deals with food and water shortages following the undersea earthquake and tsunami this month.

Navy ship HMAS Adelaide, which departed last week, transported equipment and personnel to help repair damage from the tsunami that hit the Tongan archipelago on January 15 and covered the ground in ash after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted 65 kilometres from the capital, Nuku’alofa.

Three people died.

The Australian navy ship docks in Tonga to unload aid supplies.Credit: ADF

A COVID-19 outbreak on the ship, which affected at least 23 crew, meant the aid was delivered “contactless”, the Defence Department said. Tonga is yet to have a COVID-19 outbreak.

Louise Waterhouse, Tonga’s consul-general in Sydney, said a 36-hour power failure in the country caused frozen and refrigerated food to be spoiled.

"There's a dire shortage of food, so we're looking for canned food to be sent to Tonga and of course further water supplies," she told SBS News.

“The fields have been totally blanketed in ash, which has destroyed the current crop in Tonga. Luckily the root crops underground should be okay, but anything above the ground has been destroyed.”

The aid drop was the second in a week.Credit: ADF

Tonga’s three-week quarantine for international arrivals adds complexity to a difficult clean-up. Tongan authorities and aid agencies are still conducting assessments, their efforts hampered by damage to communications infrastructure.

The Australian government has committed $3 million in humanitarian funding and delivered 40 tonnes of supplies, including shelter, water and sanitation kits, communications equipment and protective gear for people clearing the ash. Charitable organisations are also contributing.

UNICEF Australia’s director of international programs Felicity Wever said more than 4200 people need immediate food assistance.

"Volcanic ash has contaminated water supplies and crops, with access to water and food security still an immediate priority and many Tongans relying on bottled water," she said.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) South Pacific director Greg Young agreed drinking water is a major priority.

“Thankfully the underground bore water in Tongatapu is safe to drink. Typically, in the past that water was only used for household purposes and therefore the people do rely upon bottled water,” he said.

ADRA is responding through the Seventh-day Adventist church in Tonga to provide cash vouchers to help people purchase food and other items.

Since the pandemic began, Tonga has reported one case of COVID-19, making it one of the few remaining virus-free countries. Local authorities have been wary of accepting foreign assistance in case it leads to an outbreak which could compound the natural disaster.

"Deploying international surge capacity into the country is not feasible and restricts the support that can be provided," Mr Young said.

"Communications have been irregular and difficult, but over the past number of days it has been inspiring to hear of the resilience of the Tongan people and how they are stepping up from all levels of society to support those in need."

The HMAS Adelaide included emergency supplies from UNICEF, including 1000 sanitation kits, water containers and buckets, and 50 recreational kits with footballs and skipping ropes for children. The shipment was the second in a week after an airforce plane dropped a load of supplies last Thursday.

Meanwhile, the UK’s aid shipment of 30,000 litres of bottled water, 300 first aid kits and sanitation supplies also arrived on Wednesday. The crew unloaded the freight by crane to minimise the risk of COVID spreading to the island.

The Chinese embassy in Fiji said two of their military jets were due to deliver 33 tonnes of food, water and tents on Thursday, followed by a navy ship bringing tractors and generators by Monday.

The US said it will boost its initial $100,000 funding pledge to $2.5 million.

With AP