Tonga Red Cross

Aid agencies on the ground were reporting a need to rehabilitate people who were psychologically affected by the eruption and tsunami.

Their distress was made worse by the tough Covid-19 lockdown restrictions being applied in the Kingdom, said Tonga Red Cross Secretary General, Sione Taumoefolau.

The Digicel team started its community outreach by visiting homes that were affected in Ha’atafu, Kanokupolu, ‘Ahau, Sopu, Popua and Patangata with food packs and water after the eruption and tsunami on January 15th. The team also visited Holty’s Hideaway, Vakaloa Beach Resort, Liku’alofa Beach Resort, Heilala Lodge, Fafa Island Resort, Pangaimotu Island Resort, Ha’atafu Beach Resort and Royal Sunset Beach Resort to donate $8500 TOP to each resort to help with the rebuild of their businesses.

Tonga Red Cross staff and volunteers have been assisting people from the moment the tsunami alert was triggered, and are ramping up the delivery of drinking water, temporary shelters and other critical relief supplies across the country.

Tonga Red Cross secretary general Sione Taumoefolau said its teams were using boat and trucks to take vital items to communities in need of the basic necessities.

Shelter was a top priority for families whose homes had been wiped out, he said.

The island was the worst affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold on Thursday.

Volunteers teamed up with villagers to distribute goods such as tarpaulins, shelter kits and hygiene kits to each households.

Response Team in Tongatapu also stocked up their vehicles ready to deploy into the assessed communities including Hahake District and one team in Patangata area in the central area.

Volunteers have been working with the Ministry of Health to create guidelines tailored to a range of communities in Tonga including families, the elderly, youth and the disabled.

The leaflets include information about prevention, symptoms of coronavirus, and services available to help with any queries about the virus.

Communications Officer Polikalepo Kefu said the main message Tonga Red Cross Society wanted to get across to the public was how to prevent coronavirus.

Secretary General Sione Taumoefolau said the Red Cross was slowly winding down its operations after its initial assistance efforts.

Mr Taumoefolau said the recovery of food and crops did not seem to be too much of an issue on the main island of Tongatapu.

However he said up to 400 houses were destroyed and deemed uninhabitable after the storm and many people were still living in makeshift shelters.

Sixteen volunteers from ʻEua, Haʻapai, Tongatapu and Vavaʻu responded to invitations to attend the training which started on February 29 to March 4.

Participants were trained about “facilitation skills, disaster cycle, assessments and relief distribution”.

Low rainfall is expected for Tonga for at least three months as a severe El Nino strengthens its grip on the region.

Tonga has had extremely dry weather for nearly a year with shipments of water necessary for Ha'apai and Vava'u islands.

The general secretary of the Tonga Red Cross, Sione Taumoefolau, says people need to collect as much water as possible as a precaution.