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USAID is responding to the eruption of Tonga’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano

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Key Developments

USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) is providing $100,000 to support emergency response activities in Tonga following a series of volcanic eruptions between January 14 and 15 from Tonga’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, located on the uninhabited Hunga Tonga Island approximately 43 miles northwest of Tonga’s capital city of Nuku’alofa.

Multiple eruptions from Tonga’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in mid-January generated significant ashfall and tsunami waves, affecting more than 100,000 people—nearly the entire Tongan population—according to the Tonga Red Cross Society. As of January 18, the two eruptions and subsequent tsunami waves had resulted in at least three deaths, with waves recorded as high as 49 feet in certain areas, according to the Government of Tonga. The volcanic eruptions and tsunami also caused significant disruptions to telecommunications systems nationwide, hampering damage and needs assessments. Additionally, tsunami waves reached more than 160 feet inland in some parts of Tonga, inundating outlying islands and population centers, including Nuku’alofa, and damaging or destroying houses, public infrastructure, and water supplies. Following the second volcanic eruption, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an advisory forecasting hazardous tsunami waves affecting Tonga, as well as other countries in the Pacific island region, Asia, Central America, and South America through January 16.

Additionally, volcanic ashfall affected Tonga’s major populated islands, affecting air and water quality on the islands. As of January 17, an estimated 1 inch of ashfall had covered the major populated islands of Tonga, located approximately 40 to 60 miles from the volcano, the UN reports. Inundation and ashfall have also affected livelihoods in Tonga, particularly among agricultural and coastal communities.

Background

Tonga, an island country in the Pacific Ocean, is vulnerable to natural disasters, including cyclones and tsunamis. USAID disaster assistance typically supports the emergency relief efforts of non-governmental organizations and closely coordinates with and complements Government of the Kingdom of Tonga relief efforts. In addition, USAID supports a number of initiatives to help people in Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, prepare for future disasters.

Last updated: January 18, 2022