A-PAD is sending a staff member to Fiji on February 8 to assist the affected areas.

On January 15, 2022, the massive undersea volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai erupted and triggered tsunami waves around the Pacific. In Tonga, severed telecommunication lines made it near impossible to relay information to the outside world for several days and the extent of the damages have been gradually made known. Over 80% of the population have been affected and the negative impact on the crops and seafood products are evident. Health impacts from the toxic ash is concerning as well. After the eruption, Tonga reported its first case of COVID-19 and the country is now under a lockdown.

A-PAD has been planning disaster recovery assistance activities with a local chamber of commerce. On February 8, 2022, A-PAD is sending a staff member to Fiji to launch an emergency assistance operation. The staff member will be based in Fiji and deliver relief items to Tonga. “Thank you all for your warm support. I will work hard to help the people of Tonga.”