Two New Zealand naval ships are being sent to Tonga to provide support, carrying fresh water, emergency provisions, and diving teams.
A P-3K2 Orion aircraft flies over an area of Tonga that shows Ash on homes and surrounding vegetation. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force. Licenced under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
It comes as ashfall on the Nuku'alofa airport runway means one of the aircraft readied yesterday - a C-130 Hercules, to supply aid - would be unable to land.
The official death toll from Saturday's eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai is two, but getting accurate information from the ground has been difficult.
In a statement this afternoon, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Defence Minister Peeni Henare said New Zealand was ready to assist.
The HMNZS Wellington would transport survey equipment and a helicopter, while HMNZS Aotearoa would transport 250,000 litres of water and is able to produce an extra 70,000 litres per day through salinisation, they said.
The journey is expected to take three days.
Defence Minister Peeni Henare told Five O'clock Report it could be Thursday before Tonga's main runway was cleared of ash so planes carrying aid could land.
He said once it was up and running, New Zealand would be sending a Hercules defence aircraft.
Mahuta said authorities had struggled with communications on the ground so decided to send aid before an official request.
"The delays mean we have taken the decision for both HMNZS Wellington and HMNZS Aotearoa to sail so they can respond quickly if called upon by the Tongan Government," she said.
Henare said the ships would return to New Zealand if not required.
He said the survey and diving teams would be able to assess wharf infrastructure, and changes to the seabed in shipping channels and ports, to assure future delivery of aid and support from the sea.
The Hercules flight remains on standby with humanitarian aid and disaster relief stores including collapsible water containers, generators and hygiene kits.
Tonga is free of Covid-19 and operates strict border controls, so all support is being offered in a contactless way.
The ministers' statement said a further $500,000 in humanitarian assistance had been allocated, bringing the total to $1 million.