The Pacific island’s communication infrastructure has been cut since the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted on Saturday, January 15, damaging the undersea fibre optic cable.
With three confirmed casualties, there is now a huge clean-up operation underway and a State of Emergency has been declared.
One of the lucky ones, Belfield academic and author Ana Kautoga’s family is all living in Australia but she is yet to make contact with friends still in Tonga.
“It seemed people had some warning before the tsunami hit and were moving inland and that could explain why the casualty rate is so low,” she said.
“There are hundreds of homes, businesses and infrastructure gone but these things can be easily rebuilt; the tragedy is any loss of life.”
Ana said the goal at the moment would be to limit infection and to get clean air and water.
“It’s very hard for people to return home and assess the damage because of all the ash in the air,” she said.
Waiting to hear word from her relatives living there, Bankstown Sweatshop general manager Winnie Dunn is grateful there was not a greater loss of life.
“It’s very surprising that more people were not hurt but Tongans are smart and you grow up there with the knowledge that if there is a cyclone, for example, you need to get to higher ground fast,” she said.
“The immediate worry is access to drinking water and perishables.”
All sales of the books, Sweatshop Women: Volumes 1 and 2, from now until February 1, are being donated to the fundraising page for Tonga set up by Pita Taufatofua, the ‘shirtless’ Tongan Olympic flag bearer in Rio in 2016.
Further info at sweatshop.ws or donate at gofundme.com/f/tonga-tsunami-relief.
