Praveen Menon and Kirsty Neham

WELLINGTON/SYDNEY – More aid-carrying ships are expected to land in Tonga over the coming days, as the international community reacts to urgent requests from the Pacific island nation after a catastrophic volcanic eruption and tsunami.

Tonga received the first planes from Australia, New Zealand and other countries on Thursday.

A New Zealand vessel for maritime support, HMNZS Aotearoa, carrying 250,000 litres water and capable of producing 70,000 litres daily through a desalination system is due to arrive in Tonga Friday.

On Thursday, an in-flight issue forced a second Australian aid flight to be diverted. This is why it was unable to continue on Thursday.

HMAS Adelaide is en route from Brisbane to Tonga, and will provide additional support.

On Saturday, the Hunga Tonga Ha’apai volcano burst with an audible explosion, which caused tsunamis to hit villages and resorts, and cut off communications for about 105,000 citizens.

According to authorities, three persons were reported as having been killed.

Ash has covered much of the archipelago’s drinking water and now it is threatening its existence.

United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a briefing that Tonga has asked for urgent assistance and the agency is in close contact with the authorities.

Dujarric stated that assessment teams had reached all parts of the country including isolated and remote islands.

“We are concerned about safe water access for the 50,000 residents of this country. “Most people are still relying upon bottled water for their water quality,” he stated.

Dujarric indicated that about 60,000 people are affected by losses to their crops and livestock from ashfall and saltwater intrusion, as well as acid rain.

He also mentioned that there are reports of fuel shortages.

Marise Payne from Australia, the foreign minister, stated that Tonga has received $1 million in cash donations. This will need to be matched by more support for rebuilding.

Tonga’s future challenges will include the impact of the volcano eruption and subsequent tsunami.

Telephone links between Tonga and the outside world were reconnected late on Wednesday, although restoring full internet services https://tmsnrt.rs/3qzVPyy is likely to take a month or more.

Tongans have turned to social media to post images of the destruction by the tsunami and give accounts https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/tongans-deafened-by-volcanic-blast-they-fled-safety-2022-01-20 of their shock after the massive explosion.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said that the explosion was equal to 5-10 megatons of TNT. This is more than 500 times as powerful as the nuclear bomb which the United States dropped upon Hiroshima in Japan during World War Two.