TONGA EMERGENCY
Help provide urgent assistance to people hit by the volcanic eruption and tsunami.
7 February Update
We are in daily contact with our local partner, Tonga National Council of Churches, supporting them to respond to the crisis. Since the eruption, humanitarian supplies have been making its way to Tonga, bringing much needed food, fresh water, and equipment.
The country has since reported numerous cases of COVID-19, with the Tongan government implementing lockdown measures to stop the spread.
We are working with the Tonga National Council of Churches to improve the coordination of emergency response items to affected communities. We are supporting the installation of community water tanks and the construction of greenhouses to address food insecurity, while coordinating psychosocial support and information to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On Saturday evening a large underwater volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga causing a tsunami. Since then, volcanic ash has been falling over the islands. The eruption was one of the biggest to hit Tonga in the last 30 years and the sound of the explosion could be heard as far as Fiji, over 800km away.
The tsunami will most likely have caused immense damage to homes, and we don’t yet know if, or how many people have been injured or have lost their lives. We are also extremely worried about the impact of the falling ash. It will likely mean that thousands of people won’t have access to clean drinking water and that crops which families rely on, will be destroyed.
Act for Peace works closely with the Tonga National Council of Churches (TNCC), our local partner on the ground, to help communities prepare and respond to disasters just like this one – and we hope that this training has saved lives.
TNCC are experienced in emergencies, having led on the response to Tropical Cyclone Harold in 2020 by providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to most affected communities.
Once communications are back up in Tonga, Act for Peace will work closely with the team at TNCC to help respond to people’s immediate needs and it’s critical we act as quickly as possible. This may include supplying drinking water and non-food items such as tarpaulins and seeds to replant crops.
Please give urgently today.
Gifts of $2 or more are tax deductible. All donations are restricted to Act for Peace’s Tonga emergency response work. If funds raised exceed amount needed for this appeal, excess funds will be used to support Act for Peace’s work in other communities around the world affected by conflict and disaster.
Your privacy is important to us. Act for Peace collects your personal information in order to keep you informed about our projects, activities and opportunities to take action. By providing your information you are agreeing that Act for Peace may use it to contact you in the future. You can opt out of future communication or contact us with any queries, by emailing info@actforpeace.org.au, calling 1800 025 101 or writing to act for Peace, Locked Bag Q199, QVB NSW 1230. To reduce overheads we may provide your information to trusted suppliers who provide services on our behalf (including mail, data, phone, IT, processing and research). Our privacy policy is available at www.actforpeace.org.au/privacy and contains information about (i) how we collect, store and use, plus how you can access and correct your personal information; (ii) how you can lodge a complaint regarding the handling of your information; and (iii) how any complaint will be handled by Act for Peace.
Act for Peace Limited.
ABN 86 619 970 188
