Loaded with food and supplies, WCK ship sets sail for Tonga
Located in the South Pacific, the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted, triggering tsunami waves that devastated Tonga and reached all the way to New Zealand, Japan, and beyond. The eruption was more powerful than the first atomic bomb sending a plume of ash and water vapor 25 miles into the atmosphere—the diameter of the eruption measured around 400 miles.
Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom composed of multiple islands, and although not all the islands are inhabited, some of the most populated ones were severely damaged. In addition to having no clean water and lacking critical necessities, the nation’s communications lines were severed, leaving people without a means to contact the rest of the world, possibly for weeks.
Since closed borders and safety protocols due to the pandemic in Tonga do not allow WCK to directly assist impacted communities, our Relief Team is in Fiji where we are working with local groups to send food and other supplies by ship.
Working with a local store, Shop & Save, we assembled and loaded 4,000 food kits on a WCK chartered ship that is currently being loaded to set sail today for Tonga. KN95 masks, solar lamps, and other items will all be delivered contactless. Depending on the vessel, the trip from Fiji to Tonga can take between 24-60 hours one-way, with our ship expected to arrive Monday or Tuesday.
On a separate ship, WCK is supporting the Apitonga Community Center in Fiji to send a container filled with donations they have collected. This center is dedicated to Tongans in Fiji where many students are preparing personal care and supply packages to send to their family and friends back home in Tonga. Items include cases of water and “buckets of biscuits”, a favorite snack of Tongans that conveniently comes in a very sturdy waterproof container.
For students and volunteers packing and loading the supplies, WCK is providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner—working in the heat and humidity these meals provide some necessary fuel!
James, Davidson, and Mele, pictured below, are all from Tonga and university students in Fiji. Mele said they are volunteering to send relief aid to their loved ones and was personally inspired to volunteer because she didn’t know what kind of help people were receiving—she said she needed to do something, anything to help.
The container is one of 12 that is scheduled to set sail later this weekend on a Fijian government vessel that WCK is supporting. Additionally, we are assisting the Center with trailers and a truck to offload supplies once they arrive in Tonga.
Beginning today, we are working with 12 locally owned restaurant partners in Tonga to cook thousands of daily meals across 15 locations—including two small, neighboring islands off Tongatapu, the most populated island. Today’s menu includes over 3,000 plates of chicken curry or fried chicken with cassava or rice, bread, and watermelon.
Support our response here. Stay up to date on our efforts in Tonga by following WCK on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
