Transcript
GRAHAM KENNA: This morning despite heavy rain there's been ongoing fast response distributions of emergency shelter to the villages on the eastern side of Tongatapu and the western side. And also the Tonga Red Cross is doing shelter distributions within the capital. It's going very smoothly and very quickly. We hope to have most of it finished by lunchtime tomorrow.
JENNY MEYER: So the road access has improved quite a bit has it?
GK: Road access has been handled by the Tongan Armed Forces and they've done a fantastic job. There's hardly anywhere that we cannot get to, or get people from to give us information on how their far flung villages are.
JM: Have you had any news from the island of 'Eua?
GK: Yes I've just had a report come in. We are sending a naval patrol boat there within the next hour with personnel on board to assist and assessors. We're also sending tomorrow morning a landing craft with emergency supplies on it and more technical staff. They've had no communications there so the Australian government has supplied two radio technicians to get the radios up and running and to see if we can do anything to get the electricity back on.
JM: But no deaths or casualties from 'Eua?
GK: No, we knew that there were no deaths from 'Eua. There were some injuries during the cyclone but we don't have a full report on them.
JM: And what about the hospital and people's health, what are your primary concerns there now?
GK: The hospital now has electricity in the capital which is an improvement. Some of the machinery was damaged in the storm. I think they only have one ECG machine and are in desperate need of another. The CT machine is working but it's not working to full capacity and it's badly needed otherwise people will have to be medivac out of Tonga.
JM: I know that they were seeking a centrifuge, do you know if that's arrived at the hospital?
GK: I don't know but we have an aid flight coming in from New Zealand at 4 o'clock this afternoon and another one from Australia. I'm still waiting to get…Because communication's been so bad here, I'm still waiting to get information on what is going to be on those flights.
JM: What about in Tonga, the general mood and spirit of the people, are people stressed with this event? How are they coping?
GK: They're a very strong group of people the Tongans. They want to look after the disaster response themselves, as much as they possibly can and only take international assistance where necessary. The mood in the street seems okay. Shops are slowly starting to open a lot of the very small supermarket type shops in the outer villages, they're starting to open. They don't have electricity so I believe that they've started to reduce some of their prices so that they can empty their shops out.
JM: And what's your primary focus now, where do you think the most help is needed?
GK: The focus now is on water and electricity. Water is the number one thing. It rained very heavily this morning and in a way it was good, but it's also makes things difficult for us, but at least people are able to fill up buckets and things like that. The people that have water tanks, they'd get a bit of a top-up.
JM: And the electricity, is it mostly back on now in Tongatapu?
GK: No, no electricity could be, in the outer districts it could be over a month before they get electricity back on. It is a problem, there was an offer from New Zealand government to supply technicians to come in but that's not what's required. There is a shortage of hardware here, things like transformers and cables and that sort of thing. So we're looking at a way of getting that remedied.
JM: There's no thoughts of reviewing the whole system, putting it underground or anything like that?
GK: Oh that would take a very much, a very high amount of money which I'm sure the Tongan government does not have. But it was only recently all the power poles in Tonga were replaced and from what I can see it's only the ones that weren't replaced that have actually blown over. I, my street is blocked with a fallen powerpole. But they are gradually getting the areas that were worst affected, gradually getting the rubbish and debris cleared away. There was a giant satellite dish that was is the middle of the road, completely blocking the road, the Chinese government removed that yesterday, so as quickly as possible people are getting the place cleaned up.
JM: So reasonable progress, you're happy with the progress overall?
GK: Yeah, we are. We'd always like it to be better but fatigue is starting to show in the responders now which is not a real good thing but we can't force them to go and rest, they want to do what they can for their people.
JM: Anything else that you think is important for people to know or be aware of?
GK: I did put out a plea before that, to the diaspora from Tonga both in Australia and New Zealand not to send in unwanted items. It will only clog up the system and make it terribly difficult for us. We won't accept them anyway. If people want to send containers full of old household goods they're no good to anyone.
JM: And what's your suggestion if people do want to help?
GK: Use those things and have a garage sale and send the cash to their, to a Tongan family that they know or the Tongan Red Cross could do with some money or any Tongan charity that is willing to assist the people. Otherwise they send that stuff over here and we only have to find somewhere to bury it because it's un-useable usually.
