Satellite communications in Tonga may be running in the next few days, Tonga's speaker of Parliament says
Photo: NZDF
Currently stranded in Auckland, Fatafehi Fakafānua told Morning Report the nation is halfway to connecting satellite communication.
"The situations fluid and they did say that they're making progress and headway - within the next 24 and 48 hours it might be a real possibility."
Fakafānua had been assisting with the coordination the relief effort here.
He says it's fortunate the Tongan government had been able to send a media release out yesterday, but understands many people wanted to know about their family members.
His message to Tongans in New Zealand: "Hold tight, listen to the media, we're very fortune that the Tongan government has been able to make a media release which was distributed to the media yesterday.
"If you have any questions contact the consulate. I believe MFAT is also in the process of creating assistance whereby if you have relatives you can try and contact them. I'm optimistic that communications will be up soon and so for a lot of us it will be a waiting game."
"I'm optimistic that communications will be up soon" - Tonga's speaker of Parliament Fatafehi Fakafānua
Donations to credible organisations who had people on the ground in Tonga would go a long way, he said.
The extent of the devastation is becoming clearer, with aerial photographs taken by the New Zealand Defence Force showing some of the devastation after the eruption and tsunami.
One showed Mango and described the damage there as "catastrophic", with no houses and only a few tarpaulin shelters seen.
An aerial photo taken from a New Zealand Defence force P-3 Orion on January 16, 2022 shows Mango island in Tonga with no houses left after impact from a tsunami. The inset image shows some makeshift shelters. Photo: Crown copyright 2022 NZDF
Arial footage didn't provide a complete picture of the damage, Fakafānua said.
"Some of the images are very disturbing, especially from the outer islands, but it's a start," he said.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said images from the P3 arial flight were passed to the Tongan government to assist them in assessing the damage.
Mahuta understands Tonga government is making preparations to evacuate Mango and other islands.
"[The damage is] significantly concerning in some areas and that's why we want to make sure that we can assist the government of Tonga to take the necessary actions."
"You can understand that people are very stressed at this time and the government of Tonga is working very hard on the ground to ensure that they can respond to those communities and villages that are most affected."
Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga was still covered in ashfall, hindering efforts for humanitarian support.
Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga as seen from a New Zealand Defence Force P-3 Orion reconnaisance flight, after the eruption of Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai. The image caption says workers are using shovels and wheelbarrows to clear volcanic ash from the runway. Photo: Crown copyright 2022 NZDF
New Zealand has sent one of the Air Force's Hercules aircraft.
Mahuta said it was full of humanitarian aid but hadn't been able to land so far.
She understood the runway was being cleared by the manual labour of about 200 people and she hoped it was cleared by the end of the week.
The logistics of airdropping aid became difficult, she said.
Two navy vessels had also been readied. Specialist support like divers were part of this crew.
"You can understand that people are very stressed"- New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta
The Tongan government has confirmed that three people were known to have died: a 65-year-old woman in Mango and a 49-year-old man in Nomuka, both in the outlying Ha'apai island group; as well as British national Angela Glover in Tongatapu.
Acting United Nations coordinator to the Pacific Jonathan Veitch said there was no more information about the number of deaths .
He said there were a number of injuries and a UN team was on the ground with basic medical supplies to help treat those injured.
With an evacuation taking place from some islands, Veitch said most of the families are being housed with relatives but there were some evacuation centres open as well.
"We have to get to those locations now, see how the people are, give them basic food and water, which the teams are travelling with, and then see where they need to go to."
Access to water was a huge issue, with the majority of the population relying on rain water, he said.
"I'm happy to say organisations like Unicef are sending treatment supplies and things like that so the families can treat their own water. It will take a few days but we have to look at this really carefully."
Veitch said the UN was working very closely with the New Zealand government.
Donations to trusted organisations would be very helpful, he said.
"This will be a longterm rehabilitation and reconstruction effort."
As communication to the islands still remained difficult Tongans living in New Zealand were still desperately trying to reach whānau and friends.
Church leader Reverend Tevita Finau says some people were able to hear information from local Tongan radio stations.
"The Tongan community in Auckland and also throughout New Zealand, they are still feeling worried and concerned that they have not been able to contact directly with relatives and whānau in Tonga. Some have been able, not to communicate but receive news through satellites ... from Tonga through some of the Tongan radio programmes.
"We are very anxious, greatly, but thankfully churches and community organisations are able to help and support. People are getting ready in order to be able to send assistance to Tonga. They are standing by now and are receiving also assistance from a lot of charities and donors."
He said in the past 10 years there had been a lot of disasters and people are resilient.