After Australia and New Zealand, France is also coming to the aid of the Tongan population, in particular through Caledonia and the local delegation of the Red Cross. The patrol boat “La Glorieuse” loaded this Monday six tons of hygiene kits, tools and other tents, as well as four tons of equipment prepared by Civil Security. This humanitarian aid should reach the kingdom affected by the volcanic eruption of January 14 and the tsunami that followed at the end of the week.
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Help the population and help rebuild the country. International humanitarian aid has begun to arrive in the kingdom of Tonga devastated by the powerful volcanic eruption of January 14 and the tsunami that followed. New example with this patrol boat of the navy which was to leave Noumea, this Monday evening 24, with on board nearly ten tons of assistance.
Last weekend, the Caledonian branch of the Red Cross prepared 21 pallets of material, or six tons, for this purpose. “We are going to send tents to shelter a hundred families”, described Vincent Lepley. He is a risk and disaster management coordinator for the Red Cross. “We have tool kits, hygiene kits, for children and for adults. All that is solar lamps. And we will also send masks, to anticipate problems at the respiratory level, for all that is ash.”
This humanitarian freight from the French State, shaped by the Red Cross, left the association’s dock in Montravel at the beginning of the afternoon. The gendarmerie was responsible for transporting it to the naval base at Pointe Chaleix, where it was embarked on The Glorious.
A handyman placed the pallets on a barge, which transported them to the ship. This one had to go to sea at 6 p.m., for a trip of three to four days depending on the weather. On board, not only the six tonnes packed by Red Cross volunteers, but also four tons of material, including bottles of water, prepared by the New Caledonian government via Civil Security.
An operation in collaboration with the national navy, called upon to renew itself. “We have naval and air operations already underway”, describes General Valéry Putz, senior commander of the FANC. “As of Saturday, at Caledonia time, the patrol boat Arago of the Armed Forces in French Polynesia left Papeete. This evening, the patrol boat La Glorieuse will set sail to reach Tonga, which it will reach in about three days. And in the very next few days, we will have a number of flights departing from New Caledonia.”
“The FANC, details the Comsup, will carry out at least one reconnaissance flight to allow the Tongan authorities to have a better appreciation of the situation in an archipelago which is large, 175 islands, and whose situation is not yet fully known. We will also send one or more transport flight(s), as requested by the Tongan authorities, to provide additional cargo, relief and emergencies.”
See the report by Alexandre Rosada and Christian Favennec:
“Since Tonga is Covid free, we cannot send a team. We can only send equipment”, recalls Vincent Lepley of the Red Cross. “Which complicates the matter, because we have to be sure that the material is well received. The partnership that we have with the State within the framework of the Franz agreement, plus the Red Cross of Tonga with the international federation presents on site… All this will allow us to be sure that the material is sent to the right people, at the right time.”
The FRANZ agreement (like “France Australia New Zealand”) is a cooperation mechanism between Paris, Canberra and Wellington, to coordinate aid to countries and territories in the Pacific that are victims of natural disasters. A mechanism relayed by the high commissioners in Polynesia and Caledonia. In this case, this logistical support comes in addition to the various aid sent by Australia and New Zealand – illustration with this publication of the Kiwi Navy.
According to a dispatch from Agence France presse published on Saturday, the water reserves of tens of thousands of Tongans could be contaminated by the ashes of the volcano or the salt water from the tsunami. Crops were destroyed and at least two villages were totally wiped out. It is estimated that during the eruption about one cubic kilometer of material was propelled, and experts estimate that the Hunga-Tonga Hunga Ha’apai will remain active “for weeks or even months”.
“The people of Tonga are going to need a lot of support to deal with a disaster of this magnitude”, Sione Hufanga, in charge of coordinating United Nations aid to Tonga, told AFP. “They remain overwhelmed by the extent of the damage.” This archipelago is the third country in the world most vulnerable to natural disasters, according to the report on global risks. But despite these threats, Tongan journalist Marian Kupu is certain: most Tongans want to stay in their country.