Over half a million litres of freshwater has been delivered to Tongan communities thanks to the efforts of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). 

Aside from this, a fourth Hercules flight has been scheduled for today to transport medical supplies including PPE, blankets, tarpaulins, water bladders, and mosquito nets to Tonga. 

The NZDF has deployed ships, aircraft and personnel – including Army engineers – to assist with the response following the eruption and tsunami in Tonga earlier this month. 

Group Captain Nick Olney said NZDF activities are being carried out in line with Tonga’s COVID-19 protocols, with deliveries of relief supplies being completed without making physical contact with Tongan communities. 

“We’re here and ready to help with Tonga’s response, as directed by Tongan authorities. We have carried out much-needed deliveries of aid and have produced water for Tongan communities. Our work here is being completed in line with Tonga’s COVID-19 protocols which is a critical outcome for both ourselves and the people of Tonga,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Canterbury is in Nuku’alofa and has taken over water production from HMNZS Aotearoa after it assisted in relief efforts for about a week. 

HMNZS Canterbury continued water production over the weekend, with freshwater generated by the Navy ships now exceeding 500,000 litres. Desalinated water has been fed from the ships into tankers based on the wharf at Nuku’alofa. 

Over the weekend, HMNZS Canterbury also offloaded relief supplies including milk powder, tarpaulins, ladders, water pumps and personal protective equipment in a contactless delivery onto the wharf at Nuku’alofa. The supplies remain quarantined on shore for 72 hours before being picked up for distribution by Tongan authorities. 

Meanwhile, communications links to the badly hit Ha’apai Island group have been affected and crew on the Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter onboard Canterbury have flown communications engineers, wearing PPE, to the remote, steep and uninhabited Kao Island. 

Consistent cloud cover on the island has made the helicopter unable to fly to the summit to repair the main communications equipment, but the NZDFhas confirmed that further attempts will be made during breaks in the cloud cover.

HMNZS Wellington is also back in Nuku’alofa after transiting to Niuatoputapu, to the north, where specialist Navy hydrography and dive teams checked shipping channels and harbour entrances, and also located a navigational marker that had moved in the natural disaster. 

Source: Inside Government NZ

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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