MALO: Tongan American Coalition Drafts Letter to President Biden Requesting Aid for the Kingdom of Tonga After natural Disaster – Sign on Today

Dear President Biden,

We, the undersigned organizations, request that you release a statement of acknowledgement on the unfortunate events that have happened in the Kingdom of Tonga, and urge your administration to assist in providing humanitarian aid for its relief and recovery efforts. Furthermore, Tonga has been witnessing rising sea levels and land erosion, and villages were already at risk long before these events took place, so we urge you to make the climate crisis a top priority this year, and take significant action to address it.

On January 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted and was followed by a tsunami that activated waves up to fifteen meters high, causing an unprecedented disaster to the island groups of Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Eua, and surrounding islands of the archipelago. To date, three people have died and villages, schools, churches, businesses, and all agriculture were destroyed. Families who lived along the coastlines were forced to flee inland for safety and have no home to return to. For many, they have lost their only source of income as all crops and fisheries have been ruined. In addition the volcanic ash damaged freshwater resources and there is cause for concern that people will have respiratory problems, especially for those with underlying conditions. There is no question that such devastating impacts are a result of climate change.

Some communications were recently restored and Tongan Americans have been in touch with their families abroad, while others are still waiting to hear if their loved ones are alive and safe. The Tongan American diaspora have important ties to their families in Tonga, as they work hard to send remittances quite frequently to support their families and essentially help to keep the economy afloat. However, the pandemic has caused financial hardship for the diaspora here as many have lost family members to COVID-19, in addition to being frontline workers, taking care of their elders, and living in multigenerational households.

As Tonga is in its emergency response phase and continues to be extremely vulnerable to climate change, the road to recovery will be a long-term process to rebuild its infrastructure and restore hope in the Tongan people. Food, water, personal protective equipment, and other essential necessities will be a continuous need in the coming months ahead. We urge your administration to release a statement to ease some of the fear and anxiety Tongan Americans are experiencing, and take part in providing aid for Tonga’s relief and recovery efforts. We stand ready to work with you and provide support from the Tongan American community.

Sincerely,

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Motivating Action Leadership Opportunity
Vakatasi Foundation
College of San Mateo