After being battered by tsunami waves generated by a massive volcanic eruption, Tonga, home to 105,000 people, faces a crisis in potable water.
The Red Cross reported that its crew in Tonga had confirmed that saltwater brought by the tsunami and volcanic ash were polluting the drinking water for tens of thousands of people residing in the Pacific island nation.
Katie Greenwood of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that access to safe drinking water is a "critical immediate priority." She added that there is a "mounting risk" of contracting diseases such as diarrhea and cholera.
Saturday's massive volcanic eruption generated tsunamis that rolled over the islands, damaging hundreds of homes in Tonga's smaller outlying islands, with at least three people killed.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted about 40 miles (65 km) from the Tongan capital. Its explosion was heard 2,300 km (1,400 miles) away in New Zealand and sent massive tides across the Pacific Ocean.
The force of the eruption, which was seen from space, was calculated to be five to 10 megatons of TNT, or more than 500 times that of the nuclear bomb the US had dropped on Hiroshima in Japan at the end of World War II, according to James Garvin, the head scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, per Reuters, the outer Ha'apia island group was slammed by waves rising 15 meters (49 feet), destroying all of the structures on the island of Mango, as well as the west coast of Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, where 56 houses were demolished or severely damaged,
Repair of Communication Lines May Take Longer
The majority of the Pacific island nation has also been offline due to severe damage obtained by an undersea fiber-optic communication cable from the volcanic eruption.
The cable's owner, Digicel, estimates that it would take four weeks or more for them to restore full connectivity, including the internet. Though, on Wednesday, it was able to bring back international calls, as per BBC.
Since communication is primarily affected, authorities and media outlets gather information about the scale of devastation from a reconnaissance aircraft.
Help On Its Way
Two navy vessels from New Zealand are expected to arrive in Tonga on Friday. The ships contain critical water supplies for the devastated Pacific island nation, as per ABC News.
New Zealand said Tonga would welcome the ships, the Aotearoa and the Wellington,
Simon Griffiths, captain of the Aotearoa, said his ship was carrying 250,000 liters of water and other relief supplies and could produce another 70,000 liters a day.
Tonga's airport was shut down by thick volcanic ash, but a Tongan official said it might be possible for aid flights from New Zealand and Australia to begin on Thursday.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said two Hercules aircraft were ready to bring humanitarian supplies and telecommunications equipment to Tonga. Naval ship Adelaide was also preparing to leave Brisbane, containing water purification equipment and humanitarian supplies.
Meanwhile, the United States Agency for International Development will donate $100,000 in immediate assistance. Japan would give more than $1 million in aid and drinking water and equipment to remove volcanic ash, while China would send water and food supplies once the Tonga airport resumes operation.
