These new images show the devastation in Tonga 0:44
(CNN) --
The first contactless relief flights arrived in disaster-stricken Tonga on Thursday as the novel coronavirus-free Pacific island nation takes precautions to keep the virus out of its borders following the devastating eruption. volcanic and tsunami.
Flights from Australia and New Zealand carrying humanitarian and disaster relief landed at Fua'amotu International Airport in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa after the runway was cleared of volcanic ash and debris. following Saturday's violent eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai underwater volcano.
It also comes as a senior Tongan politician warned of possible food shortages in the country.
The aid will be delivered without any contact, to avoid the risk of Covid-19 spreading in the nation, which has only seen one case since the start of the pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization, Tonga has vaccinated more than 80% of its population against the disease.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules prepares to leave an air base in Auckland to deliver aid to Tonga on January 20, 2022.
New Zealand aid for Tonga
A New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft carrying sanitation kits, water purification, shelter and hygiene equipment, along with generators and communications equipment, has arrived in Tonga, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, in a statement.
advertising
It is expected to remain on land for up to 90 minutes before returning to New Zealand, the statement added.
"There is not going to be any contact. We have been rigorously disciplined in ensuring that Covid is not transmitted to Tonga," New Zealand Joint Forces Commander Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour told reporters.
In addition, the offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington is expected to arrive in Nuku'alofa port on Thursday, ahead of other supply vessels, according to a New Zealand government statement.
The vessel carries diving and hydrographic personnel, and has a helicopter to assist in the delivery of supplies, according to the statement.
Another Navy ship carrying 250,000 liters of water will arrive in Tonga on Friday, Gilmour said.
Australia also collaborates
The first of two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17 planes has also landed in Tonga, according to Australia's Minister for International Development.
"It landed! The first RAAF flight carrying much-needed humanitarian supplies has landed in Tonga, and a second C-17 is now on its way," Minister Zed Seselja tweeted Thursday.
"These flights will deliver shelter, hygiene kits, personal protective equipment for people cleaning up the ash, water containers and other supplies to support immediate needs."
Meanwhile, another Australian Navy ship carrying aid will sail "soon" from Brisbane to Tonga, the Australian Department of Defense wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
"Tonga remains COVID-19 free and I have assured [Tonga's Siaosi] Prime Minister Sovaleni that we are giving top priority to delivering Australia's aid in a COVID-safe manner," said Tonga Prime Minister Australia's Scott Morrison in a statement on Wednesday.
Australia made an initial pledge of more than $700,000 to Tonga's recovery effort, Morrison added.
Japan's Defense Ministry said Thursday that it will also send two C-130 planes with drinking water to Tonga.
A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III aircraft delivers Australia's first aid shipment to Tonga on January 20, 2022.
"All agriculture is ruined" in Tonga
As aid began to arrive, a senior Tongan politician said Thursday that the island nation could face food shortages after all its crops were destroyed by the eruption and tsunami, which sent waves up to 49 feet (15 meters) that crashed into the main island, Tongatapu, and the 'Eua and Ha'api islands.
"The whole of agriculture is ruined and I heard the PM assured the farmers that they will be taken care of," House Speaker Lord Fakafanua told Pacific Media Network.
"But it's very sad to hear. So in addition to the water we need in Tonga, it looks like we're going to be facing a food shortage."
Prime Minister Sovaleni said on Tuesday that Tonga was facing "an unprecedented disaster", adding that at least three people had died and many others were injured.
Tonga faces "unprecedented disaster";
New Zealand warns of new eruptions and tsunami risk
All the houses on Mango Island – where 36 people live – were destroyed, while on Fonoifua Island only two houses remain, and on Nomuka Island – where 239 people live – extensive damage was reported.
Isolated from the rest of the world
The island nation of more than 100,000 people was largely cut off from the rest of the world after an essential undersea cable was damaged in the eruption.
Some smaller islands remain offline, with authorities and rescue personnel rushing to establish communication.
The first details of the devastation were not known until Tuesday, after Australia and New Zealand carried out reconnaissance flights to the archipelago, a trip of between three and five hours.
Photos showed entire island communities covered in a thick layer of gray ash, houses and buildings destroyed, and coastal roads badly damaged.
A damaged area in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, on January 20, 2022.
The ash, along with standing water from the tsunami, contaminated water and food sources, according to the Red Cross.
Aid delivery was hampered by ashfall that covered the airport runway, forcing New Zealand to send two Navy ships to help with the recovery on Tuesday.
Ensuring access to clean water remains a top priority for aid groups, who are concerned about the spread of diarrhea and diseases such as cholera.
Possible new eruptions
The explosion of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano sent shockwaves around the world and triggered tsunami waves that were felt thousands of miles away, killing at least two people in Peru.
The volcano sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire and is about 65 kilometers north of Tonga's capital.
On Tuesday, New Zealand's Foreign Ministry warned that the volcano was likely to erupt again, posing a tsunami risk.
The estimate was based on a model from GNS Science, a New Zealand geological research institute, the ministry said.
"The most likely scenario is that eruptions will continue in the coming days or weeks, posing a tsunami risk to Tonga and New Zealand," he said.
CNN's Angus Watson in Sydney, Caitlin McGee in Auckland, Eric Cheung and Lizzy Yee in Hong Kong contributed reporting.
TongaVolcano Tonga
